The Fate of Durin's Line
by GoEun08
Summary: Gandalf and the dwarves had just picked up Bilbo from the Shire. In the middle of their journey they stumbled across an unconscious girl. A tattoo in Khuzdul was written on her arm saying "The fate of the line of Durin lies in my hands". Thorin saw her as a potential threat and took her as captive. Who is she exactly? Was she sent to kill them? Possible lemon ahead. Kili X OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! So my story will be revolving around the events of the three movies instead of the book. Please do enjoy and reviews are highly appreciated.**

 **ooOoo**

The forest was murky and wet due to the continuous downpour of the rain but it didn't stop Thorin Oakenshield's company to head on with their journey. With their burglar, Bilbo Baggins, onboard the group was finally set for Erebor, or The Lonely Mountain, for them to reclaim their home from the dragon Smaug. In the midst of their travels, Gandalf The Grey looked up the grey sky letting the drops of rain trickle down his wrinkled face. He scrutinized the dark clouds until a blinding flash of light had strike the heart of the woods without a sound. The dwarves and the hobbit had to calm their ponies down as it neighed and were reluctant to move forward.

"What was that?" Dori asked.

"It's just lightning" Thorin said. "Let's carry on"

Gandalf hummed, looking over his shoulder to face the leader of the group. "I have witnessed a many storms pass through these woods over the years and that was no lightning, my friend"

"What is it then?" Bilbo asked.

"There is only one way to find out"

Thorin wasn't one who liked having unnecessary detours on his journey but since their burglar was under the care of the Grey Wizard, he had no choice but to follow his lead. The ponies followed the horse of the wizard through the muddy path going deep within the woods. The blinding flash of light Thorin assumed was lightning was so bright he expected to see a few trees uprooted from the ground or a small burning crater on the soil. But he saw none of it. There were no signs of any disturbances at all. Bilbo was riding his pony behind Gandalf and Thorin when he cocked his head to the side to see what lied ahead. Squinting his eyes, the hobbit saw a figure in the heart of the woods lying on the ground surrounded by beautiful blossoming golden flowers.

Gandalf halted his horse and got off, soiling the edge of his grey robe with dirt and soaked in puddle until it looked dark. The group of dwarves followed along with Bilbo and came closer to see what they have discovered. Everyone was standing in a circle, looking down on the figure of a young girl with long brown locks lying unconscious on the wet ground covered in scratches and bruises.

"What is she?" Ori asked Balin.

The oldest of the dwarves studied the girl with a hum, "Hard to tell. She's neither a dwarf nor a Halfling but is as small as us" he pointed out. "She looks like from the race of men but is wearing clothes I've never seen before"

"Little to no clothes, you mean" Bofur said, looking at her white sleeveless dress which was only up to her knees, exposing most of her scratched legs which was something they barely see in Middle Earth. "Even slaves have more clothing than her"

"What do you think, Gandalf?"

All the dwarves, and hobbit, looked up at the old wizard with curious eyes. "I think we have to see if she's alive or not" was Gandalf's reply.

"Oin, check if that creature is breathing" Thorin instructed without giving much interest.

Putting his ear trumpet aside, Oin stepped forward and got down on his knees, flipping the unconscious girl on her back. Almost everyone was breath taken when they saw a clearer view of the young girl. Her beauty was evident despite being unconscious and covered with bruises. She had milky white skin, long thick eyelashes that glistened with raindrops, and a pair of red plump lips like roses that blossomed in spring. Oin pressed his index and middle fingers below her jaw, looking for any signs of a pulse. "She's alive" the healer of the group declared, "Just heavily unconscious probably because of her wounds"

"Who do you think attacked her?" Gloin asked.

"Probably some wild animal or creature" Oin took a closer look at the cut on her forehead. "These wounds are fresh so whoever did this is nearby"

"What should we do with her?" Dwalin asked.

"Leave her" answered Thorin who was already getting on his pony.

"We can't just leave her" Kili, the youngest of his nephews, retorted. "She's really hurt and needs to be mended. What if the one that attacked her comes back? It would be too dangerous to leave her all alone"

"It is not our concern, Kili" his uncle replied bluntly, turning his pony around to whence they came. "We do not need any more extra baggage in our journey. Now, come on. We already wasted a lot of-"

"Wait, what is that on her arm?" it was Bilbo who asked, seeing some fresh dark markings written on her left inner arm.

The dwarves looked back at the unconscious girl, specifically on her left arm. Most of them gasped as they recognized it was written in their language, Khuzdul. This time, it was Balin who moved closer and took the young girl's arm reading the writings with the help of his magnifying glass. " _The fate of the line of Durin lies in my_ _hands_ "

"Clearly, stumbling upon this young girl isn't any coincidence" Gandalf pointed out and looked at Thorin who was staring at the Khuzdul markings on the stranger's arm. "She was sent here to bear us a message"

"Tie her hands behind her" Thorin ordered immediately. He took it as a sign of threat, possibly someone trying to have them killed before they could even claim Erebor. "Put her on one of the ponies and keep a watchful eye on her in case she wakes up" then he looked at his nephews. "Fili, Kili, you must keep your distance from that thing. Come on!" his voice boomed, causing everyone to scramble on their feet. "We've already wasted so much time"

Everyone got back on their ponies while Dwalin, the biggest amongst dwarves, tied the unconscious girl's hands tightly with a rope behind her and swiftly carried her over his shoulder without any trouble. Kili was putting the dark blue hood of his shirt over his head when he watched Dwalin put the unconscious girl roughly on the pony's saddle like she was a sack of potatoes. She was still unconscious, with blood from the gash on her forehead trickling on her hair.

"What if she slips off?" Kili sounded and looked concerned.

"Then we pick her back up and stuff her on the saddle" Dwalin said with a snicker and got up on his own pony.

 **ooOoo**

After hours of travel, the rain stopped sometime that late afternoon and the group decided to make camp. With so many wild beasts and creatures lurking the lands of middle earth, it was wiser not to travel by sundown. The ponies and horse were all gathered in one area, eating grass after a long day of travelling while some of the dwarves set up camp by making a bonfire and Bombur preparing their dinner. Kili had just finished scouting the area and was about to set his blanket down on the ground when he saw Oin on the other side of their camp, tending the needs of their unconscious captive.

" _You're just a child, Kili"_ Thorin had said to his nephew the moment they settled for the night. _"You're easily swayed by people's physical appearance, thinking that they're nice. That woman bears a message about Durin's line. Our line. So if you know what's best for you, keep your distance from her"_

Kili clicked his tongue. He didn't like the way his uncle treated him like a baby. He strongly believed that the woman was no threat but if she actually was, he was old enough to fend for himself. As soon as he saw Oin got up, he too was up on his feet and followed him. "How is she?" he asked curiously.

"She's still unconscious" Oin replied, putting back a small container of medicine and bandages inside his bag. "But she's not in the brink of death. She just has a cut on her forehead, a sprained ankle, and a few scratches. But other than that, she's fine"

"What do you think happened to her?"

"Who knows? She must've lost her way and got attacked by some wild animal or something" he patted the young prince's shoulder. "Remember what Thorin said, stay away from her"

Kili smirked. "I doubt that an unconscious girl can do me any harm. Unless she's a great sorceress"

He waited for Oin to leave and when everyone else was busy doing their own thing, Kili sneaked towards the young girl. He slowly got down on one knee and observed her. The young girl was lying on the ground, a few meters away from the group, unconscious. Her hands were still tied behind her back but the cut on her forehead was cleaned and mended with ointment and so was her bandaged sprained ankle. He assumed her dress used to be white as snow but was now damp and greyish in color dirtied with soil and dried blood. He examined her face closely under the moonlight and saw how beautiful she was like a princess from a fairytale, waiting for her prince to break an evil spell with a kiss.

Kili reached forward and gently wiped the smudge of blood on her soft cheek with his thumb. He quickly got a hold on his sword's hilt, surprised when the girl suddenly moved but she didn't wake up. His lips curved into a smile and instantly moved his hand away from his sword after realizing that she only responded to his touch, like a gentle cat enjoying the way her master lulled her to sleep by rubbing her head or cheek. He continued stroking her cheek with his thumb and saw that she was beginning to shiver. The bonfire from their camp was too far and the sleeveless dress she was wearing was really short that her arms and slender legs were too exposed to the cold evening breeze. Setting his weapons aside on the ground, he unbuttoned his leather coat and carefully covered her with it like a blanket until she stopped shivering and snuggled it. Kili smiled again then got up with his weapons, walking away to join the others around the bonfire for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

" _She's just a young girl, Thorin. Practically harmless. I don't see why it's necessary to have her tied up"_

" _Harmless? She bears a message about my kin, Gandalf. What if she was sent here to have the three of us killed?"_

" _But what if she wasn't? I doubt that someone would send a young girl alone to face thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard"_

" _It doesn't matter. She will remain tied up until I say so"_

The young girl was woken up with the sound of arguing voices and the strong scent of nature—specifically of burnt wood, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. When her eyes fluttered open, she saw the orange flame of a bonfire from the distant. She closed her eyes again and groaned, feeling pain throughout her entire body and shivered at the dampness of her clothes. _Bonfire?_ She thought. She opened her eyes again and looked around, realizing that she was outdoors. Aside from the little fortress of fire, the surroundings were dark. She saw nothing but trees, rocks, and the evening sky blanketed with a thousand stars. She couldn't remember leaving the house that day and yet there she was in the great outdoors. Another groan escaped through her lips when she tried to get up, feeling a sharp pain coming from the right side of her forehead and from her bandaged left ankle. She wanted to rub her throbbing forehead when she realized that her hands were bound securely behind her and the more she writhed, the more her wrists burnt from the tight rope.

"You're awake" a soft voice said.

The young girl quickly looked up and saw a strange looking man standing a few steps away from her. He had long golden hair and mustache braided with beads and a pair of gentle blue eyes. Not only was his features odd but so was his thick layers of clothing. He was wearing a pair of boots, leather gauntlets, a thick fur coat, fingerless leather gloves, a thick leather belt around his waist, a jerkin, and an undershirt. He was a man like no other she'd seen before in the streets of Suffolk, well, probably in history books about Vikings or in cartoons.

The young girl wriggled back until she was pressed against the cold rock behind her with no other place for her to go. "W-who are you? Where am I?" her heart raced as she panicked. She couldn't identify where she was or who the person was. Her eyes widened in shock even more when she saw that the golden haired man was not alone. They were probably a dozen, in the same outfit with wild looking beards, looking at her direction. She was scared, obviously, but the men also looked frightened and armed themselves in case she was some sort of sorceress that possessed evil powers.

"She's already awake" Ori said, hiding behind Nori whilst armed with his slingshot.

"Fili, step away from her" Thorin ordered.

The golden haired man that was called Fili took a step back as ordered while Thorin moved closer with his gloved hand clutching onto the hilt of his sword which scared the young girl even more. _Surely, they're actors right?_ She thought to herself. _No one in the modern era walked around looking like a Viking with a sword_. The leader of the dwarves got down on one knee and looked her in the eye with cold brown beady eyes while the rest of the company watched from afar.

"Who sent you here?" Thorin's voice was crisp and cold like the evening's breeze that it sent chills down the girl's spine.

"N-no one" the girl replied quickly when Thorin held the sharp blade of his sword under her chin, pricking her delicate skin. Her eyes were starting to get clouded with tears, clearly frightened in the presence of the weird looking men. "I swear; I don't know what you're talking about. I-I don't know where I am"

"She sounds like she's telling the truth" the girl heard the oldest of the bunch, a guy with thick white hair and beard, say with a soft voice.

"Silence!" Thorin's voice boomed and he quickly got up on his feet, looking down at their captive. He started speaking a language the girl had never heard of but, it didn't sound like it meant something good. "No one is to give her water or food until she tells us who sent her here"

The tears began to roll down the girl's cheeks when she blinked then gasped right after seeing the towering figure of an old man approach the one who held a sword to her throat. He was wearing a grey pointy hat and a robe and was holding a wooden staff. From her point of view, the man was almost seven or eight feet tall. Probably taller if such a height was possible for a normal human. Confused, tired, and in pain the girl's vision blacked out and she'd fallen back on the ground unconscious.

 **ooOoo**

She didn't know for how long but, the young girl felt like she slept for more than an hour. When her eyes fluttered open again, the bonfire had already died with a faint glowing ember coming from beneath the pile of ashes and a trail of smoke rising from it. The weird looking men were still there, lying on the dirt with their blankets, asleep under the starry sky. She pushed herself up and carefully leaned back against the cold rock, taking a deep breath. She saw the leather jacket was still covering her and fell onto her lap when she sat up with the warm comforting scent of cinnamon and eucalyptus. She was also still tied up and her lips were beginning to dry from thirst. Clearly, she would probably end up dead if she stayed any longer in the company of the brute looking men. Just as she was about to look for something sharp to free herself, she saw a shadow walking towards her. It was the old man with thick white hair and beard wearing a red robe.

Balin gestured her to keep quiet before he pulled out a waterskin from underneath his garment. He sat down next to her and held the leather waterskin against her lips in which the young girl drank until the very last drop. The young girl gasped for air right after quenching her thirst and leaned back again on the rock before glancing at the old man. "Thank you" she said in a whisper.

Balin smiled, hiding the waterskin underneath his gauntlet. "Welcome, my dear. I'm Balin. And you are?"

"Harriet. Harriet Wellington"

"Ah, what a lovely name that is. Do you remember how you got in the woods?"

Harriet shook her head. "I can't even remember coming to the woods"

"Well, what is it that you remember, lassie?"

"I was in our parent's library" she recalled. "I was instructed by my older brother to clean up when I saw a bunch of maps cluttered on the table. Maps of places I've never heard of. Underneath the pile of maps was a black stone with weird carvings on it. I took it and the next thing I know, I was blinded by a flash of light and then I woke up here" she took a deep breath and looked at Balin. "Where am I exactly?"

"Well, you're in the company of Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, King under the Mountain"

Harriet looked at him with utter confusion. "King?"

"Well, he's a king in exile. But that's why we're on our way to reclaim Erebor from the dragon, Smaug"

"Erebor? Dragon?" Harriet didn't understand a single thing and was wondering if she was fully awake. "I don't think England has any place called Erebor and we definitely don't have dragons"

This time, it was Balin's turn to look confused. "My dear child, I've travelled to and fro Middle Earth but never heard of England"

Harriet grunted, lowering her head down and squeezing her eyes shut. Middle Earth? _This is nothing but a dream_ , she said to herself mentally. _These are all in my head and nothing else_. But when she opened her eyes, she was still there in the woods in the company of sleeping snoring men and Balin.

"It seems like you have a lot of things to explain to us" Balin said with a soft chuckle before his expression shifted into a serious one. "But most importantly is the tattoo on your arm"

"Tattoo?" Harriet tried to take a glimpse of her arm but to no avail since her hands were tightly bound behind her. "I don't have a tattoo"

"Aye but you do, lassie. Written across your left arm in Khuzdul"

"What is Khuzdul?"

"Why, it's the language of my people. No man knows about it which is why it's intriguing you have it inscribed on your arm"

The more Balin talked, the lesser Harriet understood anything. It was like living in a completely different world. "What does it say?" she asked. "The one on my tattoo?"

" _The fate of the line of Durin lies in my hands_ " Balin said as a matter-of-factly.

"The line of Durin? What does it mean?"

Balin shrugged. "I only have two guesses. One, you're here to slay the successors of Durin and two, you're here to help them reclaim Erebor"

"I'm not a killer" Harriet defended. She took great pride of having a clean record whether it be in school or work. She was a really nice person who barely got into any fights. "I don't know about Erebor, Durin, or whatever you're saying" she sighed and was almost in tears. "I don't understand anything at all. I just want to go home"

Balin sighed, giving the troubled girl a pat on the shoulder. "I can see that you're telling the truth, my dear. If I can set you free, I would. But, I'm just following Thorin's order just like everyone else" he gave her a sad smile. "But I can't blame Thorin either for taking precautions. He is the rightful king of Durin's folk and next in line are his nephews Fili and Kili. They are all here in this journey to reclaim our home and it won't be too easy with all the challenges we are yet to encounter"

"What happens to me then?" she asked, sniffling.

"I'm guessing you'll be in our company for quite a while until we figure out why you're here and why you bear that message on your arm" he looked up the sky and smiled. "You better get some sleep. Dawn will arrive soon and you need all the rest you can get, lassie" and with a polite bow, Balin walked away and took his position lying down between Dwalin and Bilbo.

Before Harriet fell back on the ground, she saw one of the men shuffling in his sleep. He was lying down on his side, shivering, rubbing his arms to keep himself warm. The young man's eyes opened and caught Harriet looking at him. Harriet was scared, thinking he might do something to harm her. But the long haired man stayed put lying on the ground and flashed Harriet a smile followed by a wink. Feeling her cheeks suddenly heating up, Harriet quickly lied back on the ground and stared at the sky wondering if that person was the owner of the leather coat she was using as a blanket. She dismissed the thought and kept her gaze at the sky.

She couldn't tell what time it was but it was rather obvious that morning was near as there were lesser stars. She took a deep breath and recalled everything Balin had told her. None of the things he said made any sense to her. Thorin Oakenshield, a king? There was no such king with that name in England. Unless Queen Elizabeth secretly threw him away. Everything made no sense but at the same time, some things felt familiar. She remembered the weird maps and the stone she found at her deceased parent's library. Was it possible? Were the weird maps of unknown places real? So many unanswered questions filled Harriet's head until eventually, she'd fallen into sleep.

 **A/N: How is it so far? I've been re-watching The Hobbit trilogy and just had the strong urge to write a story with Kili as the main character because I just love him so much. I hope to hear any feedbacks from you guys. 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Kind of got excited writing so I'm posting another chapter. ^-^ how is it so far? To those who are reading, thank you for your time. Reviews/Feedbacks are highly appreciated.**

Harriet felt like she was floating in the middle of her slumber when she heard the neighing of horses and deep voices of men. She groggily opened her caramel brown eyes and was startled to see everything was upside down including Fili who was smiling at her direction before getting onto his pony. It was already morning, probably between six or seven, and found herself being carried over the shoulder of the toughest man in the group. She tried cocking her head, but not too much as to straining her neck, just to have a good look at her captors. To Harriet's eyes, they looked weirder in daylight. Each of them carried random weapons from axes, spears, swords, and bow and arrows like a bunch of warriors that came from the medieval ages. They also sported crazy styles of beard and wondered if those were a trend some hundred years ago because she never saw such styles in history books. She saw the meatiest of the bunch having a thick red beard it almost looked like a rope and another one had a braided beard and she was sure she saw a part of an axe stuck on another man's head.

All of them were busy packing their blankets and cooking utensils in their bags before loading it on top of the horses. Harriet also caught a glimpse of the kind old man, Balin, at the front of the pack with the person he referred to as king, Thorin Oakenshield. They seemed to be discussing something but ended up with Balin being scolded and dismissed. With a swift movement, everything wasn't upside down anymore when she was placed on top of the saddle with the leather coat draping over her head until she was engulfed in darkness. She felt woozy as the flow of her blood ran down her body then squealed when she lost her sense of balance and toppled back. She was sure she'd fall back and hit the ground but to her surprise, she felt a sturdy arm catch her just in time.

She blinked several times when the leather coat covering her face was lifted up and saw the image of a handsome fellow. She didn't realize that another person was sitting on the same horse next to her with his arms locking her in place whilst holding the reins. He had long dark hair and the only one in the group who seemed to have a stubble instead of a beard. His eyes were dark brown in contrast to Harriet's lighter ones but were just as beautiful. He was also armed just like the rest, carrying a bow and a quiver on his back. The more Harriet stared at him, the more she realized that he was the man she saw shivering in his sleep last night. And by judging from his outfit—a hooded blue shirt and trousers— he was the owner of the leather coat she used as a blanket. Harriet swallowed hard as the handsome man gave her a frightening stern look as if he was going to attack or shout at her any moment.

"If you're going to keep looking at me that way, I might be forced to kiss you" the man said, cracking a boyish smile and helped Harriet sit on the saddle comfortably.

Harriet was completely taken aback, not expecting he would say such a thing. "E-excuse me?"

"I'm kidding" he snickered. "It's better to start the day with a positive attitude. I hope you'll enjoy the ride with me"

"What makes you think I'm riding with—Ah!" she squealed again as she almost toppled back for the second time only to be caught in her captor's arm.

"Stay still, will you? We can't risk having you fall off or else your sprain might get worse" he flashed a crooked smile when the young girl sat still with protruding lips. "Now that's a good girl. Did you have a wonderful sleep last night?"

"Is this yours?" Harriet asked as the young man fixed the leather coat over her lap to have her legs covered.

"Aye, I thought your flimsy dress wouldn't keep you warm last night and we didn't have a spare blanket" he chuckled when Harriet gasped, losing her balance for the third time and was reclining on his arm. "I reckon it's your first time riding a pony?"

"It's not normal for anyone to ride a horse with their hands tied behind their back" Harriet retorted, giving him an odd look. "A pony is too small for an adult like us to ride on. Do you even know its difference with a horse?"

The smile on the young man's face turned into a wide grin. "I'm pretty sure this is a pony and that over there is a horse" he pointed at the front of the pack.

Harriet didn't have to stretch or tilt her head to see what was ahead. The grey pointy hat of the old man was seen all the way from the end of the pack and the big brown horse he was straddling. "T-that's a gigantic horse and a person"

"That's no giant" he chuckled. "That's Gandalf the Grey, a wizard. How about you, what's your name?"

"Harriet"

In the midst of talking to one another, Thorin came marching towards them on his pony looking very displeased they were together. "Why are you the one looking after the captive?" he asked before giving Dwalin a frustrated look for letting his nephew be with her when he specifically told them to keep their distance.

"All the ponies have a lot of load to carry" the young man explained which was basically the truth.

"Doesn't matter, you shouldn't—"

"It's alright" he assured Thorin. "I doubt that she could do anything with her hands tied behind her back"

Thorin sighed deeply in defeat. "Fili" he called out until the young man with golden hair appeared next to Harriet and the dark haired man in his own pony. "Keep an eye out on your brother, will you?" he instructed, eyeing Harriet coldly. "If the captive does anything strange, don't hesitate to kill her" he pulled on the reins of his pony and went back to the front of the pack joining Balin and Gandalf.

The ponies started to move one by one deep into the woods setting off for their journey. Harriet remained quiet in her seat, taking quick glances at the man she's sharing a ride with. She felt awkward that there was barely any space between them. It was like she was locked in his arms whilst he held the reins with both hands. _It might be uncomfortable for you but this way you wouldn't fall off_ , he had explained. Thorin referred to him as the brother of Fili which only meant that he was the one named Kili and the nephews Balin mentioned last night. Harriet looked down with a heavy heart, staring at the dirt pathway they were passing by and listening to the clucking of the ponies' hooves and the chattering of the men. She heard them whispering about her and would take glances at her direction as if she was some sort of criminal. _Don't hesitate to kill her_. Thorin's words echoed in her head. She didn't know why she was in their company and why she was being threatened in the first place. Balin had said something about a tattoo that was inscribed on her arm, about the fate of Thorin's bloodline. Harriet knew for a fact that it wasn't her who would want to kill them. She couldn't even hurt a fly let alone another human being.

"If you keep sulking I might just have to really give you a kiss"

Harriet's train of thoughts were cut abruptly when Kili spoke. She didn't even know that he was paying attention to her instead of the road. "Is a kiss your solution to everything?"

"Most of the time. I've been told by women that a kiss from me can fix anything. Want to try?"

"How audacious of you" she rolled her eyes and shifted her attention somewhere else when she heard the sound of a sneeze. She looked ahead and saw a young man sitting on top of one of the ponies, sniffling due to the animal's hair. He was the only man who didn't look like a Viking. He had brown curly locks, clean shaved face, and was wearing a maroon jacket and a pair of brown trousers. He looked very normal compared to the other men except for his big pointy ears and big hairy feet. She'd never seen such big feet that she doubted a pair of shoes would fit it.

"Is it your first time to see a hobbit?" Kili asked almost in a whisper.

Harriet looked at him, startled at the short distance between them then looked away flustered. "What's a hobbit?"

"That's a hobbit" it was Fili who answered, pointing at the man in a jacket and trousers. "Mr. Baggins is not only a hobbit but also a burglar"

"A burglar?" she repeated, cocking her head to look at the other prince. "Is that something to be proud of?"

The brothers looked at one another and chuckled. "His skills are highly needed" Kili said. "He's the one who can help us enter Erebor"

"You need someone else to open your own kingdom?"

"It's quite complicated" Fili explained. "My brother and I have never been to Erebor actually. After the dragon Smaug took over it, our family moved in exile in the Blue Mountains. That's where we were born. But now we're ready to help our uncle take back what's rightfully ours"

Gloin, who was ahead of them, sneered before glancing back at the princes. "Sure, go ahead and tell her all of our plans for her to know when exactly is the right time she can kill you both"

Harriet looked at the scruffy looking man with a frown. "I'm not a killer!" she said aloud, almost whining which made a few heads turn at their direction.

"So I've heard you say" Harriet looked back at Kili who gave her a wink, an indication that he'd heard her conversation with Balin last night. "I believe in you" his voice was soft that only they could hear. "You look like a person who can't even wield a weapon or throw a punch" he chuckled. "You said you're from a kingdom called England ruled by a Queen named Elizabeth. Hmm, I haven't ventured all over middle earth yet. What's your place like?"

"I, well, normal?" Harried didn't know how to explain it. She was sure she wasn't in England, in her world for that matter, that there was no point explaining it further to him. And she wasn't in the mood to talk anymore as her stomach began to grumble. Since she woke up in their company, she hadn't eaten anything under Thorin's order. Her cheeks turned crimson as her stomach grumbled loud enough for Kili to hear.

"Seems like your stomach is saying something" Kili snickered then turned to his older brother. "Fili, I—"

Before he could even continue what he was trying to say, Fili already tossed him a small pouch that came from the bags stacked behind him. "Don't let anyone catch you"

Harriet watched as Kili opened the pouch with one hand and found fresh blueberries inside of it. They were big, almost like grapes and looked really juicy. Kili took a piece and when no one was looking, he held it to Harriet's lips which she ate almost in an instant without having much of a second thought. The little fruit popped in her mouth, bursting with a sweet refreshing flavor that it quenched both her hunger and thirst. She was too focused eating she didn't notice Kili's left arm was already wrapped around her waist while holding onto the pouch. Kili fed her a few more, amused that she looked like a hungry rabbit, until none was left in the pouch.

"Did you have enough?" Kili asked, stuffing the empty pouch underneath his gauntlet and loosened his arm around her waist to hold onto the rein again.

Harriet nodded, bashfully glancing at him. "Yes, I did"

"Great then. I'm quite surprised that you ate it though. You're very innocent. Didn't it ever occur to you that I might've given you poisoned fruits?"

"You also ate five pieces of it"

Kili chuckled lowly. "Fair enough. Besides, I wouldn't have the heart to harm such a beautiful woman" he said with a wink.

Harriet blushed and quickly looked away. "Why is it that you're nice to me? You were told to stay away from me for being a potential threat"

"My brother and I believe that you're not harmful" he confessed. "If you wanted to kill us, you would've found a way when we were sleeping last night. But you didn't. As I recall, you slept well and only woke up when Dwalin carried you"

"At least you two believes in me. And Mr. Balin" Harriet laughed softly followed by a sigh. "Everyone else thinks I'm plotting something"

"Don't worry" it was Fili who spoke, "I'm sure we'll eventually know your real intentions"

 **ooOoo**

After what felt like an eternity of travelling through fields and mountains, the company of Thorin arrived next to the ruins of what used to be a farmhouse. Kili helped Harriet get down from the pony and caught her in his arms when she stumbled towards him with a groan.

"Are you alright?" he asked, glancing down on her bandaged ankle. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't" she lied, although she can barely step her foot on the ground. "You can have your coat back as well"

"Are you sure? I mean, you can use it longer if you'd like"

"It's alright, I can manage. But thank you for lending it to me"

Kili was in the middle of wearing his coat back when an argument broke between Gandalf and Thorin. The Grey Wizard walked away from them, rambling his frustration against the dwarf king and disappeared into the woods. Kili quickly walked away from Harriet before Thorin could see him while the other dwarves started to unpack and make camp. Half of them gathered wood for the bonfire while Bombur was with Bofur preparing the ingredients needed for their meal. Fili was about to patrol the area with his brother when he took notice of Harriet standing all alone not knowing what to do. Clearly, she was no enemy. If she really had a plot against any of them, she should be on the move by now. But instead, she stood still and watched the other dwarves work. Then he caught sight of her bound hands, they were starting to bleed as the rope cut through her skin.

"Are you alright?" he sounded concerned when he approached her.

Harriet was amused that the two brothers were quite alike, with the blonde less cheeky. "I'm fine"

Fili frowned. Even he thought it was unnecessary to have a young lady tied up. "I wish I can take-"

"Fili" Thorin's voice roared, coming from inside the ruins of the farmhouse. "Get on with your work as a lookout. Bilbo and Balin, keep an eye on our captive"

The older nephew of the exiled king offered a small smile to Harriet before heading on his way to the woods with the company of his younger brother. Balin and Bilbo, on the other hand, showed Harriet the way within the premises of the ruins and made her sit at the corner next to their piles of stuff. She remained quiet, taking quick glances at Thorin and Dwalin who was speaking the language she didn't understand. They seemed to be discussing something very important, probably the incident where Harriet and Kili rode the same pony, and would take glances at her direction. She quickly turned her attention to the hobbit standing at the corner, sneezing again.

"Sorry about that" Bilbo said, sniffling. "I just get these reactions when I'm near horses"

Harriet managed to smile. "It's alright, it happens to me with cat's hair"

"I'm Bilbo, by the way. Bilbo Baggins" he introduced and quickly retreated his hand after remembering that she was tied. "Is it weird that I'm introducing myself to a potential killer?"

"So you think I'm a killer too?" she asked with a frown.

"N-no, it's not that" Bilbo stammered, twitching his nose a bit as he examined her. "In fact, I'm not sure what you are"

"What do you mean?"

"You're as small as us hobbits and dwarves but, your appearance is of men"

"There are dwarves?"

Balin suddenly joined in the discussion, giving Harriet a look. "What did you think we are?"

"Y-you're a dwarf?" she gasped.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"B-but you guys are as tall as I am. Some of you are even taller than me" and based on the fairytales she'd read or what she'd seen from Disney movies, dwarves were really small. Harriet groaned, burying her face on her knees. "Oh God, where am I really? What am I even doing here?"

Balin gave the young girl a comforting pat on the back. "There, there, we'll figure something out when Gandalf comes back"

"Is he even coming back?" Bilbo asked, concerned. It's been more than thirty minutes since the Grey Wizard left their company.

"We can only hope" was Balin's response.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'll be posting two chapters today ^-^ Gah, I love Kili so much. Aidan Turner, rather. I want to finish this story first before I distract myself with Poldark. I hope you enjoy! Reviews are highly appreciated.**

By sundown, Gandalf hasn't come back leaving Bilbo Baggins worried. Bofur assured him things were going to be alright and instructed him to hand over two bowls of stew to Fili and Kili who were both busy looking after the ponies. Harriet, on the other hand, was still in the premises of the farmhouse with Balin still not allowed to have anything to eat. She ignored the rumbling of her stomach by listening to the stories of Balin. The old dwarf explained to her middle earth and the creatures that lived in it including men and how their kingdoms were taken by orcs and dragons, resulting to years of dispute between dwarves and elves. Somehow, things were starting to make sense to Harriet. Well, she still didn't understand how or why she was there in the first place but with the help of Balin, she had a better understanding of the world she was in. It was hard to believe but it was the reality she was in at the moment.

Their conversation was abruptly cut short when the brothers Fili and Kili emerged from the woods looking very disheveled. According to them, Bilbo was taken captive by a group of trolls and so were a few of their ponies. With Thorin's lead, they all followed Kili back into the woods wherein they saw the trolls take Bilbo. As they left the campsite, Fili ran back into the ruins of the farmhouse where Dwalin had tied Harriet securely against a wooden pole.

"Trolls?" Harried repeated after hearing what they've said. "There are trolls?"

"Aye and they eat anything they see" Fili said, pulling out a dagger from underneath his fur coat. "Even humans" he added, cutting through the rope binding Harriet's hands together. When the rope was loose enough, he pulled it off her and threw it on the ground. Harriet couldn't hide her happiness. Her wrists stung and bled due to the rope burns but she didn't care. All that mattered to her was that she was finally free. "Here, take this" Fili handed her the dagger he used then smiled. "Take this opportunity to escape"

Before Harriet could even thank him, Fili already sprinted into the woods to join the rest in rescuing their burglar. Harriet clutched onto the dagger and limped her way towards the opposite direction without looking back. There was a sharp pang every time her left foot touched the ground but she ignored it by clenching her teeth and ran ahead, limping. She was finally free from her captors and all she could think of was getting back home to her family. She continued to run in the dark, passing through thick bushes and disregarded the twigs and leaves that smacked her face. When she was almost half a kilometer away from where she came from, she let out a squeal right after tripping on a root of a tree and fell down scraping her knee. She sat up groaning in pain and looked down at her bleeding knee and sprained ankle. Being free was useless after remembering that she wasn't in her own world. She didn't even know how she got there in the first place and obviously had no clue how to get back home. Plus, Balin mentioned about strange creatures lurking every corner of middle earth—creatures far worse than dwarves who would actually tear her into pieces. She looked down at the dagger she was holding. Most of the dwarves disliked her, especially Thorin, but not all of them were bad. Taking a deep breath, Harriet got up on her feet and turned around, limping as she followed the direction Fili took.

 **ooOoo**

It wasn't really that hard to locate the whereabouts of her companions as the culprits left obvious trails. She followed the direction of the uprooted trees and the humongous footprints embedded on the ground. By the time she reached the middle of the woods, she dived behind a bush right after hearing the cries of her former captors. She took a peek and saw a glowing light, far bigger than the bonfire the dwarves created, and heard big bellowing voices. Her mouth was gaping the moment she saw three towering trolls preparing to cook the dwarves and Bilbo, unable to believe that such creatures did exist.

Half of the dwarves were tied on a pole, ready to be roasted over a fire, while the others were piled on one corner and stuffed in individual sacks. Kili was muttering angrily in Khuzdul, kicking and trying his best to free himself when he caught sight of something—or someone—moving behind a bush. He recognized it as their captive, Harriet. Although he was glad to see her, he was rather puzzled as to why she was there when she had all the time in the world to finally escape. He shifted his attention towards Bilbo as he was picked up by one of the trolls, about to be gobbled up alive.

To everyone's surprise, Harriet jumped out of the bush and plunged the dagger into the foot of the troll that was attempting to eat Bilbo. The troll dropped Bilbo from his clutch and fell back, squawking in pain. The adrenaline was running through Harriet's veins as she didn't exactly know what she was doing. She was obviously no match against three gigantic trolls but she felt in her heart that she had to do something and help the dwarves escape. The trolls were in a pandemonium, swinging their hands left and right trying to capture her. Harriet swung her dagger towards them then ducked and ran, avoiding them as much as possible. But with the excruciating pain coming from her sprained ankle, she fell onto the ground and eventually got caught. The troll locked her within its grip and looked at her curiously.

"What is it?" the first troll, Bert, asked.

"It must be a tiny human" the second troll, William, answered. "It's not as ugly or meaty as these dwarves"

"And it's such a shame" the last of the trolls, Tom, chimed in. "She looks quite beautiful to be eaten"

"You're right. Maybe we can keep this one as a part of our collection"

"Good thinking, William. Tom, put this in a bag and make sure you do not cook her along with the rest and hurry up, the sun will be rising anytime soon"

The troll handed Harriet to another troll who stuffed her body inside a sack. Once she was trapped inside of it, the troll tossed her onto the pile of dwarves and went back to cooking their stew whilst Bilbo was finding a way to stall. Harriet groaned when she landed right on top of Kili, butting each other's head a little too hard. "Well hello to you too" Kili managed to laugh with a pained expression.

"I-I have no knowledge in fighting trolls" Harriet stammered.

Kili grinned. "You saved Bilbo from being eaten, that's already enough"

Bilbo continued to delay the trolls from eating his companions by talking nonsense until the Grey Wizard, Gandalf, appeared standing on top of a rock. He tapped the end of his staff against the rock, breaking it into two, exposing the trolls in daylight. The three humongous beasts let out a shrill cry until they slowly turned immobile and became stones. All the dwarves cheered, happy to see the wizard back in their company and helped each one of them get loose from the sacks. Kili quickly got out of the sack and hurriedly ripped the one Harriet was in. Just as the young prince was helping the girl up, Thorin pushed his way through the crowd looking completely vexed.

"Tie her up again, immediately" Thorin ordered Kili.

"But Thorin—"

"Don't make me say it again, Kili" he grabbed Harriet by the arm roughly. "Do as I say"

"I think it's safe to assume that that young girl is no threat" Balin finally said, ignoring the appalled look on Thorin's face. "We've all seen it, right? Instead of escaping, she came here and saved Mr. Baggins from being eaten alive."

The other dwarves began to discuss between themselves, agreeing with what Balin said. If Harriet was meant to be a threat, she would've let the trolls eat them. Not wanting to talk about the matter any further, Thorin let go of the girl and turned away in the company of Gandalf to locate the cave of the trolls. The others followed but still kept a watchful eye on Harriet just for precaution until they were completely sure she was on their side. The troll cave wasn't too far from where they were and half of them entered to investigate while some remained outside to be on the lookout.

Harriet chose to stay outside, hissing at the throbbing pain on her ankle, and sat on a rock. She was still in a state of shock. It never occurred to her that she would encounter trolls and yet there she was, almost becoming a part of their collection. She looked down on her arm, studying the strange tattoo that mysteriously appeared and wondered why out of all people it was her who received it. Her skin was also reddish with a hand mark printed on it due to when Thorin grabbed her. She wondered if she made the right choice going back to them or should've just travelled alone until she found help. She lifted her head up when she heard footsteps and saw the blonde prince walking towards her with a handful of medical supplies.

"Let's get those wounds cleaned up, aye?" he said with a gentle voice, setting down the medicines he'd gotten from Oin. "This might sting a bit" after washing the wounds with fresh water, he dabbed a generous amount of ointment on each wrists making Harriet hiss and writhe. It stung a lot and smelled strongly of herbs and tree barks and felt cold when rubbed against the wound. "I gave you the opportunity to run away" he said while wrapping each wound with a bandage before mending her wounded knee. "Why did you come back?"

"I did run away but then I realized there's no point if I don't know where I'm heading" she admitted, looking down her bandaged wrists. "Thank you for all your help" she took the dagger from her dress' pocket and handed it back to him.

Fili smiled and gently pushed it towards her. "Keep it" he said. "I assume you'll be with us for a while. You'll need something to protect yourself with"

Just as Harriet was putting the weapon inside her skirt's pocket, she saw at the corner of her eye the hobbit approaching them. He looked disheveled like everyone else after what they've been through with the trolls but, he managed to smile. "Thank you for saving me back there" he said softly. "I really thought I would be eaten alive"

Harriet smiled. "It's nothing. I didn't do much but I'm glad I was able to make a diversion"

They turned around and saw Kili hurrying towards them, offering his waterskin to Harriet. "Here, have something to drink" he said before sitting down on a nearby rock and saw Thorin's hand have left a mark on her arm. "I'm terribly sorry for Thorin's actions"

Harriet held the waterskin with both hands and drank almost half of it. It was cold and refreshing she had the strong urge of pouring it all over her face. When she was done drinking, she gave the waterskin back and smiled at the both of them. "It's alright" she said. "I guess I would've acted the same way if I found a stranger bearing some sort of message about my family" she studied the both of them curiously. They were supposedly princes but they didn't wear lavish clothing or jewelry. In fact, they looked like ordinary warriors. "If I'm going to be in your company for a while, do I address you both as _your highness_ or _my lord_?"

The brothers looked at one another and laughed. "I prefer to be called Fili" the older of the two said.

"Well, those two are both good titles to be called with but, I agree with my brother" the younger one answered with a grin. "Kili would suffice"

Whilst spending some time talking with the princes, Harriet saw Gandalf emerging from the troll's cave accompanied by Balin and Thorin, walking towards their direction followed by the rest of the group. She got up on her feet, standing between the brothers, feeling rather worried as if bad news was coming her way. She looked up at the towering height of the wizard and was quite surprised that he was offering her a gentle smile. _Surely that's a good sign, right?_ Harriet thought.

"I'm terribly sorry that I didn't take the opportunity to know who you are, my lady" the wizard spoke with a raspy yet gentle voice. "I was rather given the impression that the only thing that mattered is the journey" he added, taking a glance at the king of the dwarves who pretended not to hear anything and looked away. He looked back at Harriet with a smile. "What is your name?"

"Harriet" she spoke softly, fiddling with her fingers. "Harriet Wellington"

"It's nice meeting you, Harriet" the wizard said with a smile. "I'm Gandalf the Grey. Balin told me you've mentioned about a stone you came across with before you saw a blinding flash of light"

Harriet nodded. "I did. It had weird markings on it that looks like these" she pointed at the tattoo on her arm.

"Do you have this stone you speak of?"

Without any hesitation, Harriet fished through her dress' pocket and pulled out a small stone handing it to the tall wizard. Everyone looked at the small stone—it was smooth, oval shaped, and resembled a black opal with intricate scribbles inside written in _cirth_. The dwarves of Erebor have encountered so many precious stones and gems underneath their kingdom but never saw anything like it. It was like a dark stone that trapped a hundred stars inside and projected something written in cirth.

"What is it?" Thorin asked.

Gandalf studied the stone closely and hummed, "This is called the Wizard's Stone" he explained, showing them the Khuzdul word written on it. "In all my years roaming the lands of Middle Earth, I've only stumbled across this once. It used to belong to Ordun the Red"

"I thought you said there were only five wizards in Middle Earth?" Bilbo asked, looking at the stone Gandalf was holding.

"Now there's only five but there used to be six"

"What happened to him?"

"No one really knows for sure" Gandalf explained. "This stone contains a powerful magic created by Ordun, himself. It is said that with this, he can travel to realms that do not exist in middle earth" he looked at Harriet. "He stumbled upon a place ruled only by men and fell in love with a mortal who bore him a son. But because magic didn't exist in that world, Ordun's immortality slowly faded. I never saw him in Middle Earth again so it must've meant that he died in the land of men" he looked at Harriet again. "Even though magic does not exist in your land, the powers of a wizard can still be passed on to its kin. And since Balin told me you came across this in your parent's library, It's safe to assume that Ordun's blood runs through your veins. Did your father not tell you anything?"

Harriet shook her head with pursed lips. "My grandfather passed away years before I was born so I never knew who he was" she explained. "But there was a time my father wanted to talk to me about something. He said it was urgent but…" she paused for a moment before she continued with hands balling into tight fists. "Armed bandits came into our home in the middle of the night, stealing most of our belongings and killed my mum and dad"

Gandalf frowned and the rest looked down, feeling terrible for the unfortunate fate of the young girl's parents. "I'm truly sorry to hear that" he said sincerely, handing the stone back to Harriet. "One of Ordun's greatest traits was premonition, something that was taught to him by the Vala Lorien. His visions mostly appeared to him through dreams. Have you ever encountered anything of the like?"

"I saw my parents being killed" she confessed. "But I thought it was just a bad dream. I never thought it would actually come true" she frowned, feeling guilty she wasn't able to prevent her parent's death.

"It's alright" Gandalf gave her a pat on the head. "You're young and didn't have the proper guidance needed until that stone transported you here in middle earth"

"So you're saying that I'm really a wizard?"

"Indeed" Gandalf nodded. "But to be completely honest, this is the first time I have ever heard about a union between man and a wizard. Not to mention, producing a young female wizard"

"Did my wizard powers shrink me?"

Gandalf chuckled. "Probably. Ordun was chiefly fond of Dwarves when he was still here in middle earth. In fact, he was the only wizard the dwarves liked back then" he looked over his shoulder, glancing at Thorin with a smile. "It seems like you don't have a killer after your bloodline after all. Not in your company at least"

Kili had a proud smile on his face. He never doubted Harriet from the beginning and was happy to hear from Gandalf directly that she was good. A wizard even. Now that the mystery about Harriet had been unfolded, the dwarves thought they were already safe until they heard someone coming from somewhere within the woods. Each of them got their weapons ready whilst Fili instructed Harriet to stay behind him and his brother.

 **ooOoo**

What they thought was trouble turned out to be completely harmless. Radagast the Brown came riding a sleigh made out of twigs and was being pulled by a group of rabbits. He looked disheveled, which was rather his normal state, and sent news to Gandalf about the wellbeing of Greenwood. In the middle of their discussion, the group heard a howling from the distant. Harriet screamed when a huge beast pounced on Dori before it was killed by Dwalin with his hammer. Kili quickly pushed Harriet aside as another beast came from the other direction and shot it with his arrow before it could attack Thorin. Harriet, who was completely frightened, heard Thorin refer to the beasts as Wargs which meant that a group of Orcs were nearby. With the help of Radagast, Gandalf and his company ran for their lives before the Orcs could spot them.


	5. Chapter 5

The warg scouts and orcs chased the Brown Wizard through the woods while Thorin's company ran for safety. They ran until they got out of the woods, hiding behind big rocks scattered on the open field whilst the orcs and warg scouts continued to give chase after Radagast. When the coast was clear, Thorin initiated the group to run towards the next big rock across from where they were. Fili sprinted along with the others, holding onto his dual swords, when he looked around in panic. "Kili and Harriet are missing!"

Thorin looked around worried. Fili was right. His other nephew was missing and so was their female captive not knowing when or where they disappeared. But before he could even find time to search for his missing nephew, the enemies caught up and had them surrounded. The dwarves and Bilbo stayed together and before a bloody battle could take place, Gandalf appeared beneath a rock with a secret passageway, urging the dwarves and the hobbit to come along. Gandalf counted as the dwarves slid down the hole one by one with Thorin being the last. There were supposed to be thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, and a human but he stopped count at thirteen.

"Kili and the girl are missing" Thorin told Gandalf in despair, worried that the orcs got his nephew.

"Do not fret" Gandalf said, hearing a horn erupt from above. A horn that wasn't from the orcs. "The two of them will be alright"

 **ooOoo**

A warg scout was still inside the forest, pursuing the dwarf and the human who got separated from their group. It sniffed the ground several times until it picked up the scent of a dwarf nearby. As it was about to howl to call for backup, two arrows went straight through its mouth leaving it dead. Kili jumped off from the branch of a tree and ran to the nearest bush where Harriet was hiding.

"Are you alright?" he asked, panting.

"Y-yeah, I'm good" Harriet managed to say and stumbled out of the bush, terrified at the sight of the huge dead beast.

"Come on, more of them will be coming anytime soon" Kili took Harriet's hand and darted off the opposite direction looking for a good place to hide.

The howls of the warg scouts echoed through the woods that it was hard to tell where they were coming from. Kili ran as fast as he could but quickly stopped when Harriet tripped and fell on the ground. Her sprained ankle hasn't healed and started to ache. She wasn't even sure if she could continue running. Kili was about to give her a lift on his back when he saw a big opening underneath the big thick roots of an enormous tree. It was like a burrow but bigger that it could fit the both of them. Slipping his bow on his back, Kili draped Harriet's arm around his shoulders and helped her crawl under the hole then covered themselves with a few fallen branches. Without saying a word, Kili placed his finger over his lips instructing Harriet to keep quiet.

Harriet covered her mouth with both hands when she heard a twig snapping in two followed by the sniffing and panting sound of an animal. It climbed up the thick root just above the hole they were hiding in, trying to pick up a scent. She stayed still and looked up, seeing the fur of the warg through the gaps and a dribble of blood coming from its mouth. The breath of the beast was foul, smelling like the rotten corpses of the innocent creatures it killed. It walked around some more, unable to pick up their scents because of the soil and branches they were covered with, then finally fled the area.

When they were completely sure that the area was clear, Harriet crawled out of their hiding place and drew out a deep breath. She thought trolls were the scariest things she'd seen and didn't realized there were far worse. _I guess going back in their company was the right choice_ , she thought. Because obviously, she wouldn't last a day alone in that strange world. Kili held onto his bow, looking around the area for any signs of threat. The woods were finally quiet. No signs of the orcs, Gandalf, Bilbo, or the dwarves. He looked up the orange sky, realizing that the sun was already setting. He slipped his bow on his back along with his quiver and walked towards Harriet who was leaning against the big tree, covered in dirt, and was clenching her teeth from the pain inflicted by her sprained ankle.

"We'll camp here tonight" he said, pulling off a dead leaf stuck on Harriet's hair. "It'll be too dangerous to venture at night"

Harriet only nodded. "How are we going to look for the others? We don't know where they headed"

Kili sighed. "I don't know" he admitted, "We'll worry about that first thing in the morning"

Taking Harriet's injury into consideration, Kili left her for a few minutes to gather some wood by himself. He came back with an armful of twigs and broken logs, piling it together in front of the big tree and started a fire for their campsite. Harriet sat in front of it comfortably with her arms stretched out, enjoying its warmth. A few moments passed and the forest was engulfed in darkness with only the moon, stars, and the bonfire as sources of light. Harriet was fiddling with her Wizard's Stone, thinking about how hungry she was, when she heard something rustling behind a nearby bush. Kili was alert and got up on one knee, drawing out an arrow from his quiver and got his bow ready. But to their relief, it was only a rabbit which quickly hopped away.

Harriet couldn't help but sigh, clutching onto her chest to calm her pounding heart. "I thought it was another beast" she whispered.

"Don't worry" Kili said, putting his arrow back in his quiver and sat across her. "The orcs know that we've fled this area. I'm sure they're far from this place already" he assured her to lessen the fear Harriet must've been feeling. He started pulling out various small pouches stashed underneath his garment and tossed it on the ground. Harriet grabbed one and opened it, seeing that it contained different varieties of berries. "I took these from Bombur when he was sleeping" he admitted with a playful grin like a child who was proud of the mischief he'd done and popped a mulberry in his mouth. "He's got tons of food hidden under his clothes"

"Berries are good" she admitted, eating a handful of blueberries. "But I prefer to eat real food like meat" she couldn't even remember how long it had been since she had a proper meal.

"Aye, nothing is better than meat. But for now, I think berries would suffice" he chuckled then couldn't help but glance at his companion's condition. Her white dress was completely soiled with dirt and blood, she had new fresh wounds, and the bandage on her ankle looked worn out. But despite looking haggard, she was still beautiful. Harriet was too preoccupied finishing the berries in the pouch she was holding that she didn't realize that Kili stood up and came closer to sit next to her. "The wound on your leg is bleeding"

"It's just a scratch, really" she insisted, seeing the small cut on her once flawless leg. Back home, she wasn't the reckless type of girl. She was well-mannered and always took care of herself. But ever since waking up in the strange world she was in at the moment, she often found herself in trouble or wounded.

"But still, it's bleeding" Kili answered back, pulling the cork of his waterskin and poured water on her cut. "Hmm, going on a quest fighting monsters isn't meant for a lady like you"

"I didn't choose to go on this quest" she answered, looking at the tattoo on her arm. "I was _magically_ sent here" then she curiously watched as the young dwarf prince got up, checking the plants that grew nearby and plucked a few stems from a certain plant.

Oin was the one who carried the medical supplies but since he wasn't around, Kili improvised. He plucked the leaves from the stem he got and gently covered the cut with it. "That should help stop the bleeding"

"How did you know it can help?"

"Kind of got myself bruised and wounded several times growing up it's not that hard to pick up a few helpful information" he admitted with a grin then resumed eating his pouch of mulberries. "How's your ankle?"

"It's still quite sore but I guess it will heal soon"

Kili looked at the opal stone Harriet started to fiddle with again and ate another fruit, remembering what she'd said about her parents. "It must be hard, living alone"

Harriet was nibbling on a piece of blueberry when she glanced at the dwarf prince seeing the sadness in his brown eyes. "I'm not alone" she corrected with a smile. "I have four brothers. One is older than me and the rest are younger. It is, however, hard living without parents. I somehow became the mother figure for my younger brothers and" she groaned, emitting a soft laugh just at the thought of her siblings.

"That's the kind of reaction Fili often makes when he talks about me" Kili laughed. "He says I'm reckless and often puts him in trouble" he snorted with a squint. "I think I'm pretty decent"

"That's what the youngest likes to think but in fact are a pain in the arse" she said teasingly, tucking her hair behind her ears while eating a few more berries.

"Do you miss them?"

Harriet nodded. "They cause me trouble but I do. I don't know how long I've been away from home but, I hope they don't worry much about my disappearance"

"Do you think they have the same gift as yours?" he asked out of curiosity. "You said that you had seen premonitions in the past."

"I don't think so. I never saw anything odd about them. Between the five of us, it was me who was the strange one. The black sheep if you could say"

"A black sheep that has a purpose. We didn't stumble upon you for no reason" he pointed at the Khuzdul tattoo on her arm. "We don't know what it is yet but, you have a mission to do"

"I hope it's easy" Harriet said with a soft chuckle. "You saw what happened back with the trolls or with the orcs. I don't have any experience with fighting or defending myself"

"Not even with your siblings?"

Harriet laughed. "That's completely different. It doesn't require sword fighting and they do not try to literally kill me"

"Do you know how to wield any weapon at all?" Kili asked, finishing the pouch of mulberry.

"I learned how to use that" she pointed at the bow and quiver on his back. It was something she learnt in school as an extracurricular activity when she was twelve. She was good at it but after graduating high school, she barely had the time to practice her skills since she was too busy looking after her siblings right after their parents passed away.

"Great then. Maybe tomorrow morning you can show me your skills"

The both of them looked up the starless sky upon hearing the loud rumbling of the thunder. And in the blink of an eye, the rain shower poured heavily killing off the campfire in an instant. Harriet and Kili crawled back underneath the thick root which was no use as the rain seeped through the gaps soaking them both completely. Harriet hugged herself, trembling immensely. Her clothes were short and thin, not meant for outdoors and she'd been wearing it for days whether it rained or shined. Kili had set his bow and quiver down then slipped off the thick coat he was wearing and offered it to Harriet by covering her with it like a blanket.

"Don't worry, I can manage" Kili assured her when he saw the worried look on Harriet's eyes. "Better get some sleep too while I'm on the lookout"

Harriet lied down on the wet dirt, snuggled underneath the damp coat of the dwarf prince that smelled of cinnamon and eucalyptus. It was very cold but there was something comforting with the way the rain trickled down her face. She looked up at her companion through half-lidded eyes and hummed, "Do you think they're worried?"

The rain trickled down the perfectly sculpted face of the dwarf prince, cracking a smile. "I know that Fili and Thorin must be going berserk right now" he admitted, imagining his older brother walking back and forth praying to Mahal for his safety. "They probably think I've gotten into some trouble. But don't worry, we'll find them first thing in the morning" he glanced down at her. "Are you scared?"

Harriet simply nodded. "The orcs and wargs are scarier than the trolls but I guess you're used to them by now. Balin told me that you dwarves battled with them a long time ago"

"This is my first time encountering orcs and wargs" he confessed, wiping his wet face. "When that battle took place, Fili and I weren't born yet. We only heard of orcs through tales from the elders just like with Erebor. Basically, we grew up not knowing much about the world as we were both always in the premises of the Blue Mountains"

"But you still manage to get yourself wounded and bruised several times"

Kili chuckled. "I was a growing kid, it's just natural. And even if we were safe within our kingdom, Fili and I were taught how to wield weapons. How about you? Did you not get in any sort of trouble growing up?"

"Hmm, not really" Harriet hummed, trying to recall her childhood. She was a quiet kid, always locked in her room with her nose buried in a book or helping her mum out in baking or gardening. "The closest I got into trouble was when a man tried to steal my bag on my way home from school"

"Did you fight the culprit?"

"He was too big and he pushed me until I fell on the nearby creek" she laughed in embarrassment. "Good thing my bag didn't have anything important that time"

"What a despicable man" Kili sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "No lady should be treated that way. He should be ashamed. But now there is nothing you should fear" the smile he offered Harriet was comforting. "If you must know, I'm a skilled archer. I'll protect you from any harm"

"Why is it that you're so nice to me?"

"Do I need to have a reason why I'm nice to someone?"

"Not really" she mumbled, wiping her wet face. "Maybe I'm just not used to it. Most men I met were nice but had a different intention"

"Do you think I have a different intention?"

"I-I don't know"

"I'm not a brute man. I might've said that I'd kiss you but I wouldn't do anything unless you give me permission" he gave her a wink, causing the young girl to blush. "And you'll be in our company for a while so, you'll eventually see that my intentions are good"

Harriet snuggled the leather coat, inhaling its cinnamon and eucalyptus scent. It was making her drowsy but she forced herself to look up at him with drooping eyes. "Do you think I have other magic powers since I'm a wizard?"

"That's possible" Kili nodded, playing with the string of his bow. "As I've been told wizards often just gives out advises but, they also possess a great deal of power. They don't use it often unless it's necessary"

Kili looked down when he got no response. Harriet had fallen asleep, clutching onto the Wizard's Stone. She was completely drained. All she was supposed to do was clean up the mess in their home's library and didn't expect to be taken into some magical realm only to be a hostage by a band of dwarves, be chased by trolls, wargs, and orcs. Kili gently swept off the strands of hair sticking on Harriet's face and examined her with a smile like the first time he saw her sleeping. She was truly beautiful, reminding Kili of an angel instead of a wizard. He was also rather proud that in a short time, he managed to befriend her quite easily. He leaned back against the thick root of the tree, listening to the gentle pouring of the rain, and kept a keen eye on the dark forest making sure to keep them safe until dawn arrived.

Harriet had fallen into a deep slumber that she couldn't feel nor hear the heavy downpour of the rain anymore. She was beginning to dream which felt so real she could hear the clanking of the pans hanging on Bombur's backpack as he ran in the open field along with the other dwarves and Bilbo. The orcs got them surrounded until Gandalf magically appeared behind a rock that had a secret passage. One by one, the dwarves slid into the small cave with Thorin being the last one to join and easily escaped their enemies.

 **ooOoo**

Kili didn't realize that he'd fallen asleep clutching the bow and arrow in his hands in case someone attacked them. When he opened his eyes, it was already morning and the rain already stopped, leaving the forest cold and damp. He was about to wake Harriet up when he realized that she didn't look so well with her body trembling violently and her face completely pale.

"Harriet, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly, gently pulling her into his arms. The young girl continued to tremble with chattering teeth and was running a high fever possibly because of sleeping outdoors under the rain. He took the Wizard's Stone from her and slipped it in his pocket before carrying her onto his back. "Hold on, we're going to look for help"

Getting up on his feet, Kili sprinted off the woods trying to remember the direction Thorin and the others were taking before they got separated. He didn't mind the twigs and branches that scratched his face as long as he could get Harriet some help. The young girl groaned, forcing her eyes open when she felt herself bouncing and realized she was being carried on the back of the dwarf prince. She looked ahead and saw they were out of the woods and into the open with big rock formations on every corner. _It looks just like my dream_ , she thought and held onto Kili as he ran faster. She studied every big rocks they passed by until she saw one not too far from where they were, having a big resemblance to the one with the secret passage.

"Kili" she mumbled weakly, her head resting over his shoulder.

The dwarf prince slowed down his pace, looking over his shoulder when he heard her voice. "You're awake" there was sheer excitement in his voice with a hint of worry and exhaustion. "Don't worry, I'll get us to safety"

"Go over there" her hand was weak and trembling when she lifted it up, pointing at the rock she'd seen from her dream. "Gandalf and the others took a secret passage through there" then her arm dropped over the young dwarf's shoulder and Kili felt that her weight has gotten heavier.

"Harriet?" he called out and realized that she'd lost consciousness. Holding onto her tightly, Kili darted through the open field and onto the rock she pointed. He carefully slid down the cave and was startled to see a dead orc lying on the ground with an arrow pierced through its chest. He didn't know how but, Harriet was right. There was a secret passage beneath the rock. With a sword on one hand, he walked through the narrow hallway until he found light coming from the end.

Kili stopped on his heels when he finally reached the end of the tunnel. He'd only heard of Rivendell from stories and never thought that he'd be seeing it with his own eyes. it was the territory of the elves and if his uncle was around, he knew for sure that he'd rather go someplace else than to stay within the home of his enemies. But Kili had no other choice. Harriet was sick and he didn't know the nearest town or kingdom that could help them. With a deep breath, the young dwarf prince went down and followed the path leading to the entrance of Rivendell.

The elf guards greeted them warmly by surrounding them both with bows and arrows pointed at them. Kili dropped his weapons onto the ground to let them know that he wasn't there to cause any trouble. A few minutes passed and he saw a black haired elf coming down the steps wearing a crown and a gold velvet robe. He dismissed the elves that surrounded his visitors and smiled.

"You must be the nephew Thorin was talking about, Kili" the elf said with a gentle smile.

"They're here?" Kili almost sounded like an excited child.

The elf nodded. "He is, along with a few other dwarves, a Halfling, and a wizard" he cocked his head to the side, noticing the unconscious girl on the dwarf's back. "And that must be the half human half wizard Gandalf was referring to?"

"Please, she's really sick" Kili pleaded. "She really needs help"

"Very well" An elf maid stepped forward and took Harriet from him and walked away to tend to her needs. "And for you, Master Kili. I'm sure you'll like to see your company and have something to eat and drink after your tiring journey"

With a single nod, Kili followed the lead of the elf while taking one last look at the direction the elf maid took along with Harriet. He was excited to see his uncle, brother, and friends again but he was happier that Harriet was about to get the help she needed.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much to those who are reading and leaving positive feedbacks. I always try my best even though there are times I'm having a hard time thinking of the right/proper English words to use. LMAO. I feel more inspired now that I received my own Kili Rune Stone *^* Thank you again and feedbacks are highly appreciated.**

Harriet woke up in a four walled bedroom, comfortably tucked underneath the thick sheets of a soft bed. She couldn't remember the last time she laid down on a soft mattress and was thankful that she woke up there instead on the cold wet dirt of the forest. She sat up, looking at the cream colored walls of the room. Everything was gigantic— from the bed, table, chair, and windows that she felt like _Alice_ from _Alice in Wonderland_. On the foot of the bed was her white dress, clean and neatly folded next to the dagger Fili had given her. She didn't even realize that someone had changed her clothing. The dress she was wearing was of royal blue and looked really medieval with its sleeves all the way down to her wrists and the hem almost hiding her feet. It wasn't her type of dress but it was definitely warm and comfortable. Also, she was feeling much better. No more throbbing headache and her wounds were cleaned and bandaged.

As she continued to study the enormous bedroom she was in, wondering who it belonged to, a gentle knock came from the door. To her surprise, a man as tall as Gandalf walked right in. But this man was younger looking with long dark hair, pointy ears, and was wearing some sort of crown on his head. His robe was of elegant gold, its hem brushing along the marbled floor as he strode across the room and stood at the foot of the bed offering Harriet a friendly smile.

"Are you feeling much better?" he asked with a gentle fatherly voice. "You looked weak when you were taken here"

Harriet nodded with a bashful smile, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I feel much better. Thank you so much for your help"

"You're very welcome. I'm Elrond, Lord of Rivendell"

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. I'm Harriet, Harriet Wellington" she looked at the tall man curiously. "Are you also a wizard?"

Elrond suppressed a smile and shook his head. "I'm an elf. Seems like you do not know much or it's your first time to ever meet an elf"

Harriet's cheeks reddened, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Both actually. Truthfully, I'm not from this, well, world"

"And so I've been told" he raised his eyebrow as he noticed the young girl looking towards the open door as if she was hoping to see someone else. "Are you looking for the dwarf prince?"

Harriet turned her attention to him and nodded timidly. "I couldn't remember much that happened but, we were both hiding in the woods when a group of orcs were hunting us. Then I felt sick"

"Don't worry, my child. He's doing well. _Too_ well, if you ask me. He and the rest of his company almost finished all of our wine" he chuckled.

"The others are here too?" she never thought she'd be excited to hear that the rest of their company was there, but she was.

Elrond nodded with a smile. "Yes, they're all here" he said, sitting on the chair next to a round table by the open window. "I've spoken to the dwarf prince when the both of you first arrived here. He told me that you knew about the hidden passage and led him there before getting unconscious" he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Strange, not a lot knows of the secret passage except for us elves"

"I didn't know it existed either" Harriet admitted, unconsciously playing with the tip of her hair. "But when Kili and I spent the evening in the forest, I had a strange dream"

"A strange dream?"

"Yes, I dreamt of the others being surrounded by orcs. And all of a sudden, Gandalf comes out from the secret passage leading them there"

"Hmm, you have the gift of premonition" Elrond hummed.

"Gandalf told me about it" Harriet said. "I got it from…from" she gasped, looking around in a panic after realizing that her new dress didn't have a pocket. "Oh no, where is it?"

"Are you looking for this?" Elrond pulled out a black opal from his robe's pocket. He got up from the chair and walked slowly to the side of the bed, handing the stone back to her.

Harriet accepted the stone with both hands, letting out a sigh of relief while holding it close to her chest before smiling at the elf. "I thought I lost it"

"It's a special stone forged by the Red Wizard himself, Ordun" Elrond explained.

"Have you ever met him?"

Elrond nodded. "I did when he still roamed Middle Earth. He was known to be fond of Dwarves, admiring their hard work in the mines digging up precious stones and gems. With a normal rock, Ordun was able to forge a beautiful stone and casted a spell on it, a spell that would let him travel to different realms. He called it the Wizard's Stone"

"How does he do it? Travel to other realms?"

"As far as I know, he just held onto it and then the stone takes him someplace else"

"I've been holding onto it for a while now but" Harriet frowned. "It doesn't take me anywhere. It doesn't take me back home to my brothers. Gandalf said there are five wizards that exist in middle earth right now. So why did the stone have to bring me here?" Ever since she arrived in Middle Earth, all she wanted to do was get back home. She and her brothers were already orphans. True that they have an older brother but she was still worried about their wellbeing and wished she was there personally to look after them. Besides, England was her home. _Earth_ was her home. Not middle earth.

Elrond took a sit on the edge of the bed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "The Wizard's Stone has a life of its own" he explained. "Even if you want something, it chooses the one where it needs to be. Maybe that's the reason why it won't take you anywhere else. It knows that you're needed here in Middle Earth, in the company of Thorin Oakenshield. None of these are an accident, Harriet. You're meant to be here and your arrival has a big part in helping the line of Durin"

 **ooOoo**

In contrast to the big room Harriet was resting in, the dwarves and Bilbo shared a small open gazebo. They were equipped with blankets and pillows but some of them have caused damage, using the tables and chairs to start a campfire. When Kili first arrived, it was Fili and Thorin who were the happiest to see him alive and well. Everyone welcomed him back in their company, happy that he wasn't in any way hurt. On his first night at Rivendell, Kili shared his experience to the rest of the group starting from camping in the middle of the forest to the morning he woke up seeing Harriet in a terrible condition. The dwarves were completely fascinated to know that Harriet was indeed a half wizard who saw premonitions through her dreams. Thorin still thought that Harriet was only a burden to the group and so was Bilbo but, he knew for a fact they both had a role to fulfill in reclaiming Erebor.

That morning, Kili was all alone in the gazebo puffing on his wooden pipe. His uncle was having a meeting with Gandalf and Lord Elrond; the rest of the dwarves were somewhere having their fifth meal accompanied by wine made by the elves; and Bilbo was taking the opportunity to wander around the beautiful kingdom of the elves. Kili stayed behind in the gazebo to get more rest. It was his first time to venture out of the Blue Mountains and he was exhausted from both the journey and pursuit of the orcs. He also worried a lot about the condition of Harriet, remembering how blazing hot her temperature was the day they first arrived, he barely had any sleep. But his worry lessened when the elves' healer told him that they've given her medicine and was recuperating well.

Throughout his life, Kili had met a lot of women mostly from his race. Because of his charm and audaciousness, it wasn't hard for him to interact with the opposite sex. Most of them fell for him because of his personality and amazing good looks but, Kili didn't feel the same way. To the dwarf prince, Harriet couldn't be compared to any of those women he met. Possibly because it was also his first time to meet a female wizard so in a way her personality was far different from a dwarf maiden. In fact, it was the first time a female wizard ever existed in Middle Earth. The moment he first saw her unconscious in the middle of the woods, surrounded by a bed of blossoming golden flowers, he felt a different kind of connection with her as if he was drawn to her. He wasn't scared even though Thorin suspected her first to be someone who wanted to kill their bloodline. He remembered what Gandalf had said about Harriet's supposed grandfather, Ordun the Red. He was fond of dwarves and dwarves also liked him back. Maybe that was the connection Kili was feeling towards the wizard's granddaughter. The dwarf prince leaned against the ledge of the gazebo, puffing out an O shaped smoke through his lips when he caught a glimpse of a woman walking in the gardens.

At first glance, Kili thought it was an elf maid in a royal blue dress with her long brown hair tied in a beautiful braid. But when he squinted to get a better view, he realized that it was Harriet. Throwing the ashes on a nearby fountain, Kili tossed his wooden pipe over the pile of his belongings then ran off the gazebo and into the gardens. Harriet had fully recuperated after a few more hours of rest and a warm meal. After Lord Elrond paid her a visit, he gave her the freedom to wander around his kingdom as much as she liked. The young girl instantly fell in love with the elves' kingdom, enjoying its serenity and picturesque landscape. She found herself walking along the gardens, admiring the beauty of the place when she heard heavy footsteps running from behind. As soon as she turned around, she felt two strong arms locking her in a tight hug. Her cheeks flushed crimson and had a whiff of cinnamon and eucalyptus which only meant that it was Kili.

"Hi" Kili said with a smile almost reaching his ears which then turned glum when he saw Harriet holding onto a piece of lembas. "Why are you eating that filthy thing?"

Harriet blinked, looking down at the half eaten cake she was holding. "It tastes quite alright" she said, offering some to Kili in which he declined.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, touching her forehead to see if her fever was gone.

"I feel much better" she chuckled then slightly pulled up her dress, revealing the scar on her leg. "It fully healed already. Uh, I'm sorry you have to go through the trouble of carrying me all the way here" her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "I know I'm not that light weighted"

Kili snorted, raising an eyebrow at her. "Are you underestimating my strength, Miss Harriet?"

"I, that's not what I meant. It's just that—"

Kili laughed, reaching forward to give her arm a gentle squeeze. "It doesn't matter. I'm just glad that you're feeling better" then he took her free hand. "Come on"

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously, following the lead of the ecstatic prince.

"Have you forgotten what we talked about? You're supposed to show me your archery skills"

 **ooOoo**

Harriet finished her lembas by the time they reached an empty gazebo situated in the middle of a small pond and stood still as she watched Kili put the quiver on her back, slightly adjusting the leather belt to match her height and for her to easily retrieve an arrow. "I'm not sure about this" she said timidly. "The last time I held a bow and arrow was when I was a child. I'm not sure if I can still remember how to use one"

"And that's why I'm here" the dashing smile painted on Kili's face was beautiful. "Not that I'm bragging, but I am, I'm one of the most skilled archers in the Blue Mountains. So if there's something you don't know, I can teach you. Here" he handed her the bow then turned around, humming, looking for a target to practice on. "Let's try shooting that" he pointed at the only maple tree in the garden. "Just aim for its trunk"

Harriet gulped when she looked at the tree Kili was referring to. It was a great distant from where they were and she was absolutely positive that she couldn't hit it. But Kili was very persistent, urging her to give it a go. Taking a deep breath, Harriet pulled an arrow from the quiver and nocked it. She was trying to aim it towards the tree when she accidentally released the arrow, letting it fall a few inches from where she was standing, after she felt a pair of hands slither on her arms. She quickly turned around, looking flustered at Kili. "W-what do you think you're doing?"

"Me?" Kili pointed at himself and scoffed. "What are _you_ doing? You can't possibly hit that tree if you're too stiff"

Harriet blinked. "Was I?" she thought the young dwarf prince was finding an excuse to touch her but, Kili looked and sounded serious.

"Yes you were" he sighed. "Come on, I'll show you" he turned Harriet around so she was facing the tree then stood close behind her. Slowly his hands made its way towards Harriet's again, making her blush at how close they were, guiding her on what to do. "Keep your bow arm straight and your drawing hand not too high or not too low" when he got her to hold the bow and arrow properly, he held the weapon close to her face. "Do you have a good aim at your target?" when he got a nod as a reply, he moved his hands away and stepped back from her. "Now release"

The arrow swooshed across the garden and shot the middle of the maple tree's trunk with a thud, causing a few leaves to fall onto the ground. Harriet could only gasp, her caramel brown eyes twinkling in excitement. "I did it!" she exclaimed happily, turning around to face the young dwarf prince.

"Not bad" Kili snickered with his arms folded across his chest. "Let's see if you can do it without my help. Try shooting it again"

Their archery training lasted for about thirty minutes. There were times Harriet missed the target but there were more times that she did shoot it. Overall, Kili was pleased with the results which earned Harriet a pat on the back. When the training was done, Harriet took a sit on the gazebo's bench and breathed in the fresh air with a smile. She was happy. It had been a long time since she last used a bow and arrow and was delighted to know she wasn't as _rusty_ as she thought she was. She turned her head to the side when the young dwarf prince sat next to her.

"Aren't I a great teacher?" he asked with a grin.

Harriet giggled. "Thank you very much for teaching me. It was a lot of fun"

"Indeed it was. I have to admit, I'm also a good swordsman but a bow and arrow is my preferred weapon of choice" he shared, fixing the bowstring as soon as Harriet handed him the bow. "When Fili and I were kids, there was a tall apple tree that grew right outside the mountain. It bore the sweetest apples that I often injured myself trying to climb it. One day, I broke my leg falling from the branch and it terrified my mother that she forbade me from climbing the tree again. I was devastated because I really loved the apples that grew on it. But then my father came up with an idea. He said if I wanted an apple, I should shoot it down with an arrow. From then on, I was stuck with my bow and arrow" he smiled at her. "How about you? What made you want to learn how to wield it?"

"Growing up, I read the tale of Robin Hood and somehow I wanted to be like him"

"Robin Hood?" he asked with a puzzled look. "Is he some sort of warrior from your kingdom?"

Harriet nodded her head, giggling. "You can say that. He's a famous legendary figure. It was said that he stole from the rich and gave it to help the poor. I don't think I have the heart to steal from anyone but I do want to help those who are in need"

"And Thorin thought you were someone evil" he shook his head, laughing. "Now that you know how to use a bow and arrow again, you can be the defender of the needy" he grinned before glancing down at Harriet's hand, seeing her fiddle with the Wizard's Stone again. He looked at the distant, smiling. "Seems like we both have a stone we cherish"

Harriet blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"The Wizard's Stone you're holding"

"Oh" she looked down at it. "I didn't think it meant something when I first came across it. I thought it was just a stone found in a garden" she mumbled. "But now, it's the only thing that links me to my deceased grandfather and parents"

"And to your identity as a wizard" Kili reached in his trousers' pocket, pulling out a small black stone as small as the one Harriet was holding onto. It was black and smooth with symbols engraved on it.

"What does it say?" she asked, moving closer to have a better view on the symbols and comparing it to hers.

"It's written in the same language as the one on your tattoo and Wizard's Stone. It says _return to me_ " he smiled, looking at the rune stone. "It's a small parting gift from my mother after she found out I was joining her brother, Thorin, in his journey. She knew Fili was coming too but maybe because I was the youngest that she sent me this"

"You're her precious baby" she teased.

Kili looked at her with a grin. "I am, actually. She was completely worried about this journey since she knew there's a possibility of us battling a dragon. I'm sure she'll be completely mad to know that there are also orcs hunting us. Not only because I'm reckless but, she's afraid that Fili and I might have the same fate as our father" his grin turned into a sad smile, stroking the engraved symbols on the stone with his thumb. "He died in battle a long time ago"

"I'm sorry to hear that" Harriet said with a frown, not knowing that he lost his father. "It's normal for a parent to worry about the wellbeing of their children. If my parents were still alive right now, I'm sure they'll be worried sick that I'm missing or being pursuit by trolls or orcs" she chuckled then placed her hand over his. "But don't worry, I'm sure your uncle won't let you be harmed. I mean, I saw how protective he was when he thought I was some sort of killer. And once you've reclaimed your kingdom, you'll see your mother again"

Kili smiled at her, flipping his hand back to hold hers. "We won't let you be harmed either and make sure you get to see your brothers again"

After realizing that they were holding hands for quite a while, Harriet awkwardly slipped her hand away, clearing her throat and looked somewhere else. "You must've been pretty mischievous when you were young that's why everyone thinks you're reckless"

"Still am, actually" Kili replied and chuckled lowly.

"Would you mind telling me more about your childhood?"

"It would be my pleasure" and so he began telling her the tale when he and Fili snuck into Balin's room when he was asleep, snipping his beard in uneven lengths which got them in so much trouble.

 **ooOoo**

When the meeting with Lord Elrond finished, Thorin and Gandalf stood by the room's balcony. From where they were standing, they had a clear view of the gazebo Harriet and Kili was in, watching them have a wonderful time talking and laughing.

"It's nice to see that despite going through a difficult quest, the young ones can find a reason to smile and laugh" Gandalf chuckled, holding onto his staff.

But Thorin didn't look amused at how close his nephew was getting to the young girl. Since they brought Harriet in their company, he repeatedly told Kili to keep away and the young prince continuously disobeyed him. "We're still not sure if she's really a friend or a foe"

"Does she still look like a threat to you?" Gandalf asked rather annoyed. "Even Lord Elrond thinks that a half wizard such as her is completely harmless. With her in our company, she can have premonitions that can be helpful to us"

"It doesn't matter" Thorin's voice was cold as he looked up at the Grey Wizard. "Kili is third in line as King of Durin's Folk. It is not the girl's power I'm worried about" and with that, Thorin walked away to rejoin the other dwarves.

Gandalf sighed and looked back at the gazebo, seeing the bright face of the dwarf prince as he laughed at whatever Harriet was telling him.


	7. Chapter 7

By nightfall, Thorin and his company were once again invited by Lord Elrond to join him for dinner. Harriet was blown away at the grand view of the open space where they were going to eat, seeing the crescent moon shone above them surrounded by the twinkling stars and each home in Rivendell were lit with lanterns that looked like fairies. Aside from the mellow tune of the harp and flute played by the elves, she could also hear the faint calming sound of a nearby waterfall.

"Admire the view later" Fili said, pulling her by the wrist and made her sit between him and his brother. "You're still recuperating so you have to eat"

Harriet did as she was told and ate her bowl of salad, listening to Fili talk about the importance of eating a proper meal while Kili made funny faces when his brother wasn't looking. She couldn't help but smile, seeing her own older brother in Fili. The dwarves didn't fancy the food elves ate but because they were in a jolly mood, they ate whatever was served to them and drank pints after pints of red wine. Thanks to Lord Elrond's ability to read the map, they now knew that the entrance to the mountain could only be seen at the last light of Durin's Day. While Thorin was troubled on how to get to Erebor just before Durin's Day, the rest of the dwarves were celebrating with merry singing and throwing of food in which the elves didn't really like. Harriet was nibbling on a piece of lettuce, listening to whatever Bifur was saying to her in Khuzdul. But she was barely paying attention as she was too distracted with the piece of axe stuck on his head.

"He says he's glad that you have no plans on killing Thorin or us because it'll be such a disgrace to have a fight with a lady" Fili translated to her with a grin, drinking a glass of the elves' fine wine.

Harriet didn't really know how to respond. "Oh, well, I'm also glad it didn't come to that?"

"And it's also nice to have a lady in our company" Bofur added with a grin. "You might just give us luck"

Harriet couldn't help but smile. Just a few days ago, she woke up frightened in their company and was treated like an enemy. But the moment Gandalf revealed that she was a direct descendant of a good wizard who happened to be a good friend to the dwarves, Thorin's company treated her differently. Balin and the princes have always been nice to her but the others finally softened, accepting her fully into the company like what they did to Bilbo. With the exception of Thorin, of course. He was still cold and harsh towards the Halfling and the girl. Harriet was in the middle of watching Bombur eat cheese the size of his plate in the span of a minute when Lord Elrond called her out. She excused herself and got up, with Kili watching her curiously walk towards the table of the leaders.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked softly, unsure why she was suddenly called.

Lord Elrond smiled at the small girl. "Nothing but, I do bear a gift for you"

"A gift" she looked surprised. "For me?"

"You're set on a dangerous journey with a lot of obstacles to face. Almost all of your companions are armed with weapons to defend themselves"

"Well, I do have a dagger"

"Indeed but I have come to the assumption that you're inexperienced with swords or daggers" Elrond's right hand, Lindir, stepped forward and presented to him a small golden bow and a leather quiver full of arrows. "I was told by a certain dwarf you've mentioned having an experience as an archer"

Harriet took a quick glance at the long table and saw Kili laughing and having a round of drinks with his brother. "I-I'm not really skilled with it"

"Well, this might be a good time to rekindle the archer in you" he offered the bow and quiver to her. "I had this made especially for you, handcrafted by the best elves of my kin with arrowheads that can poison any orcs"

"I-I don't know if I can accept it"

Elrond smiled. "It'll truly be a great honor for me to have Ordun's descendant accept my gift"

Harriet glanced at Gandalf, who smiled and nodded at her, then finally accepted the bow and quiver from the lord of Rivendell. It was the most beautiful thing Harriet had ever seen with intricate carvings of flowers and symbols that one would know it was made by the elves. She bowed to Elrond and flashed him the brightest smile she could offer. "Thank you so much for this beautiful gift, Lord Elrond. I'll cherish this forever"

"Use it well" Elrond said with a smile, leaning back on his seat, sipping on a glass of wine.

"Why don't you show us your skills, Miss Harriet?" Gandalf asked then looked around. "Perhaps you can shoot that" he pointed at the single red apple on a tree located on a hill across from where they were.

Thorin folded his arms over his chest to watch. It was a long distant from where they were and rather dark he doubted that Harriet could shoot it. The young girl slipped the quiver on her back and stepped away from the table. The apple tree was far, farther from the distant she practiced on earlier that day with Kili that she was starting to feel dubious about her skills.

"You can do it!"

Harriet looked back at the table when she heard Kili cheering her on. Not just him but the others as well. With their encouraging words, Harriet smiled and finally drew out an arrow from her quiver. She remembered Kili's story about why he got interested in archery. She took a deep breath and nocked an arrow, holding it towards the tree's direction pretending she was the young dwarf prince who was eager to have the sweetest apple in the kingdom. When she locked her aim at the target, Harriet drew her arrow and released it. The arrow swooshed across one hill to the other, piercing right through the red apple until it fell off from the tree the way an apple fell off Bombur's mouth in shock. The dwarves and Bilbo got off from the long table and huddled around Harriet, cheering for the great shot she just did while Kili started to brag that it was him who taught her.

"She's as good as our archers" Elrond complimented, taking another sip of his wine.

Gandalf laughed merrily, looking at Thorin who was hiding his disbelief. "It seems like we've gotten ourselves another archer with a good eyesight"

 **ooOoo**

As much as Harriet loved the comfort of the room lent to her by Lord Elrond, she evacuated it that evening to join the dwarves and Bilbo in the small open gazebo they were staying in. She wanted to feel like she was a part of them and didn't care if it meant sleeping on the floor. She was in the midst of putting her bow and quiver aside when she saw that Kili was already asleep in the corner with his cheeks and nose all rosy. She didn't even know how he could sleep soundly when the other dwarves were noisily singing and eating more despite finishing dinner a few minutes ago.

"He's drunk" Harriet turned around and smiled when the oldest prince joined him, holding a wooden pipe and puffed out smoke. "I think he had five bottles of it"

"Isn't that too much?" Harriet asked. She was of age but she couldn't even tolerate a single sip of any alcoholic beverage.

Fili chuckled. "There's no such thing as too much for my dear brother" he took a quick glance at his sleeping brother then back to Harriet. "My brother is really growing fond of you. He likes being in your company and talking to you"

"I, well, I guess it's because we had time to know one another when we were separated from the group" she stammered, lying down on her blanket.

"I suppose so. He worried about you a lot when he saw that you were unwell. When he got you here in Rivendell, he visited you a lot of times in your room when you were unconscious, making sure that you were alright"

Harriet blushed and didn't know what to say. She didn't know that Kili cared about her that much. "He's a really good friend"

Fili almost snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Don't ever let my brother hear you say that" he laughed. "You'll break his poor heart"

"Is Kili your only sibling?" Harriet asked just to change the topic.

"Aye, there's only the two of us"

"Did you guys fight a lot growing up?" she asked curiously, getting comfortable underneath her blanket whilst looking up at the blonde dwarf. "I mean, you two are future kings. Do you fight over that title?"

"The subject of being king does not really bother the both of us" he explained. "We both understand that it is a task passed on to us. He doesn't care if I'm second in line whilst he's the third. The only thing that mattered to us is the safety of our people" he glanced at Harriet with a grin. "But I think that it's quite normal for brothers to fight about other stuff, aye? He's a troublemaker and I either scold him for it or I get dragged with whatever shenanigan he is planning"

Harriet chuckled and nodded. She had a fair share of petty fights with her brothers and it was hard being the only girl because the young ones tend to be rough and physical, with her ending up getting a black eye from the fits the youngest one often had.

"I remember an incident during Kili's sixty ninth birthday" Fili added. "He got himself so drunk he started causing mischief around the dwarf maidens, trying to kiss them and stuff!" the dwarf prince laughed. "Our mother looked like she was about to faint"

"Did you say sixty ninth?" Harriet asked, making sure she heard him correctly.

Fili nodded, huffing into his pipe before letting out an O shaped smoke. "Aye, sixty ninth which was a few years back"

"That's not possible. I mean, he looks too young!"

"Well we _are_ still young, you know. I'm only eighty-two and Kili's seventy-seven this year"

"That's completely mad! If you're that age, you should be old and wrinkly by now. Are you sure you're not talking about Balin's age?"

"Balin is already one hundred seventy-eight, we're not that old"

"How is that possible?" Harriet asked again, completely shocked.

"Dwarves have a different lifespan compared to humans" it was Bofur who spoke, heating a piece of sausage over the campfire they made from broken chairs and tables. "Us dwarves can reach up to two hundred and fifty years old"

Harriet's caramel brown eyes widened with mouth gaping. The only thing she knew that could last that long were sea turtles. "That's really, wow" she couldn't find the right words to show her fascination.

"Why, how old are you?" Fili asked out of curiosity.

"I just turned twenty-six this summer" Harriet shared. "I wish I can reach up to a hundred years old and still look young. Humans can only live an average of ninety years old, younger than that even and we're already frail and wrinkly" she looked at the sleeping young dwarf prince again, suppressing her laughter as she imagined grandparents looking as fit as him.

"Hmm, that's quite a bummer"

"Well maybe there's still hope for you" Bofur said, eating the sausage he'd cooked. "If you've forgotten, you're not fully a daughter of man. The blood of a wizard runs through your veins and they're said to be immortal"

"Does that mean there's a possibility that I won't die?"

"Possibly" Bofur nodded. "You can live over a hundred or maybe a thousand years old unless you are killed violently. So in a way, yes, you can be immortal but still die if you're not careful if that makes any sense"

 **ooOoo**

Harriet fell asleep a little later passed midnight. It was really hard to fall asleep in the company of loud snoring dwarves that she tossed and turned before she drifted into sleep. No new premonitions appeared in her dream but the image of Kili did. Possibly because she, Fili, and Bofur talked about dwarf ages which was completely different from humans. Harriet still couldn't believe it that the young dwarf prince was already seventy-seven. She wondered how old he would be if he was a human. She calculated it in her head to help her sleep instead of counting sheep. And if her calculations were right, Kili would be twenty-seven in human age, a year older than she was.

Just as she was snuggling the warm wool blanket that was covering her, she felt something, or someone, shaking her shoulder and calling out her name. Everything was a blur when her eyes fluttered open until her vision finally cleared and saw the man that was in her dream, looking down at her. With a grunt, Harriet sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Hmm, what's going on?" she asked through half-lidded eyes.

Kili smiled, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You have to get ready. We're leaving soon"

"So soon?"

Kili kept on smiling, thinking how adorable Harriet was as she puffed her cheeks. "Yes, we need to continue with our journey" he gentled stroked her cheek, causing Harriet to feel sleepier. "If you ever feel hungry, just come to me. I took a few more pouches of fruits from Bombur" and he got up, going to his uncle to see if there was something he could do for him.

In all honesty, Harriet didn't want to leave. Rivendell was a perfectly good place to stay in with a comfortable bedroom, a bath, and a free meal. Not to mention, completely safe from orcs. But as much as she wanted to stay, she was needed in the dwarves' company. At least that's what the tattoo on her arm said. It was nowhere near daylight but the dwarves and Bilbo were already up, packing their things and putting on their layers of clothing. With Durin's Day fast approaching, Thorin wanted to continue with their journey as soon as possible. Harriet folded the blanket she used and stuffed it in the bag Ori was carrying before slipping her bow and quiver on her back whilst the dagger was tied around her waist in a leather belt given to him by Fili. She smiled at herself, happy that she finally didn't look like an outcast like the first day she met them.

When everyone was ready, the dwarves sneaked out of the gazebo under Thorin's lead. They didn't want the elves to know they were leaving without a goodbye so they left stealthily, taking the path back to the secret passage. Once they were back inside the narrow hallway of the secret passage, Harriet yawned. She was still too sleepy to be walking at who knows what time. She absentmindedly followed Bombur's lead, who kept getting stuck from time to time along the narrow hallway, when she felt a pair of soft warm lips pressed on her cheek. Kili's stubble tickled her cheek in the process but it was successful in waking her up completely, along with the kiss, that her eyes were wide open and cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

"W-what was that for?" Harriet stammered, almost bumping onto Bombur when she wasn't looking.

"It looked like you needed something to wake you up" Kili answered playfully followed by a wink and walked right next to her.

"What happened to _I won't do anything without your permission_?" she kept touching her cheek, unable to believe that she got kissed.

"This is an exception. You were in a daze. And like I've said, a kiss from me helps" he grinned at her. "You are welcome"

Harriet rolled her eyes before sighing. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to waking up at random hours then walk miles after miles" she admitted with a soft chuckle. "I don't know how any of you can do it"

"Simple, we're warriors" the dwarf prince said proudly. "Things like these are normal to us. Don't worry, eventually you'll get used to it. If not, I won't mind carrying you on my back or maybe give you a kiss again"

"Kili!"

Both Harriet and Kili were startled when they saw Thorin walking towards them. He didn't look happy but, it was already a normal sight for everyone. Kili straightened up but couldn't look his uncle in the eye, worried that he'd be scolded for being too close to Harriet again even though he was already warned to keep his distance several times or that he'd seen him kiss her on the cheek.

"We'll almost be out into the field" Thorin spoke again. "I need you in front of the pack with your brother to keep a lookout" then he glanced over Harriet sharply. "You stay here at the back of the group to make sure everyone is safe from behind" then the exiled king turned around, walking back to the front. "Kili!"

"I'll see you later" Kili said. "And oh" he leaned closer, whispering in her ear. "You look lovely when you blush" with a boyish smile, Kili ran ahead of Bombur to join his uncle and older brother at the front leaving Harriet completely red in the face like an apple.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry, it's been a while! I've been sick lately so I wasn't able to update. I'll be posting two chapters for today**

Thorin's company had gotten far since they started their journey. They passed through hills, valleys, mountains, and bodies of waters day and night not minding the changes on the weather. A few more miles and they've finally reached the Mist Mountains by nightfall. The weather in the mountains wasn't good with loud roars of the thunder and flashes of lightning accompanied the heavy downpour of the rain. Harriet thought that the biggest obstacle she'd ever encounter was to fight off orcs or wargs. But it wasn't. All of them had to cross the dangerous mountainside through small narrow tracks without any kind of safety harness.

Kili was following close behind his uncle, wearing the hood of his shirt, when he looked back. Everyone was struggling to walk through the tracks, careful not to take a wrong step if they didn't want to meet an untimely death falling down the depths of the mountain. But the one that was struggling the most was Harriet. She was the very last in line following close behind Gloin and Oin.

"Come here, lassie" Gloin called out, offering Harriet a hand.

But Harriet was too terrified to move that she just stood there frozen, pressed against the mountain side. Her whole body trembled as she saw how high they were from the ground. Kili was about to turn back and help when Fili stopped him.

"I'll take care of her" he said and insisted that he move forward.

Kili watched his brother head back to the end of the line before he continued following their uncle's lead. Harriet was still completely petrified and didn't know if she could actually move forward. Gloin and Oin were already far ahead but she was glad to see Fili hurrying to her aid.

"Everything will be alright" was the first thing Fili said when he reached her. "Just trust me, okay?" he firmly tied the rope around Harriet's waist like a harness while the other end was around his own waist. "Don't look down and follow my lead, okay?" he instructed, holding onto her hand tightly and went on his way.

Harriet's steps were small and careful, making sure she followed every direction Fili was taking without looking down. Her hands were trembling in fear but Fili would squeeze them from time to time as an assurance that everything was going to be alright. They have finally caught up with the others when a sharp lightning struck the top of the mountain. Harriet squealed while Fili pulled her close to his chest, protecting her as rubbles of rocks rolled down the side of the mountain. Just as they thought nothing could get worse than that, the ground shook violently.

The rubbles of rock didn't come from the strike of lightning. Parts of the mountains came to life, bearing the image of humans with arms and legs. Stone Giants was what they were called and they often battled with one another. Harriet clutched onto Fili tightly as the mountain they were standing on shook again and finally stood up. The group was separated into two, the first half was on the giant's left knee while the others were on the other knee.

"Take cover!" Thorin shouted as the giants started to duel again.

The dwarves, Bilbo, and Harriet shouted in fear as the giant they were on was hit by another. Once it fell, Thorin ran to the next side of the mountain urging the others to follow quickly. Fili pulled Harriet with him and jumped to the other side where the others were waiting. Harriet quickly turned around to watch as the other group of dwarves were about to follow when the stone giant stood up again. The remaining dwarves, including Kili, wasn't able to jump onto the side of the mountain where Thorin and the others were. The two stone giants dueled and with a punch on its face, the rock head of the giant got decapitated. Its body had lost its life and smashed against the side of the mountain.

"Kili!"

Harriet felt a sharp pain on her chest as if something heavy was pressed against her and her face turned pale at what she'd witnessed. She saw Kili and the other dwarves on the knee of the giant before it crashed against the mountain. Thorin continued to cry out his nephew's name and Fili, who was holding onto Harriet, was as pale and terrified with what he had seen.

"It's alright!" Dori said to the rest of them. "They're alive!"

Fili felt a heavy burden got lifted off his body with what Dori just said and muttered a thank you to Mahal for keeping his brother safe. Harriet's legs almost weakened in gladness and couldn't help but hug Fili tightly because of the good news. They continued on with their trek until Thorin and Dwalin found an entrance to a cave. Upon arriving inside the cave, Fili untied the rope around his and Harriet's waist.

"Are you alright? Hurt anywhere?" Fili asked, checking up on her for any cuts or bruises.

"I'm alright" Harriet managed to say once she collected herself after what they have just encountered. She wasn't hurt but she was completely soaked just like everybody else and a little bit shaken.

"Okay, good. Get yourself some rest while I look around" after giving Harriet a pat on her shoulder, he walked away with a torch given to him by Balin to scout the premises for any signs of danger.

Harriet sat on the corner next to Bofur and Bombur deep within the cave, squeezing the hem of her soaked dress, when she saw Kili looking around desperately. When he finally caught sight of Harriet, he came rushing to her side. The dwarf prince dropped all of his belongings to the ground and fell on his knees, pulling Harriet and locking her tightly into his arms. Harriet was startled with his actions but nevertheless hugged him back, resting her chin atop his shoulder followed by a deep sigh. She was completely happy to see Kili was safe. That all of them were safe. In an instant, she pulled away from Kili's arms, embarrassed that a few dwarves nearby were looking at them smiling.

"Are you okay?" Kili asked worriedly, looking at her from head to toe.

Harriet nodded, cupping her cheeks to hide its redness. "I am. Fili got worried and thought he lost you"

A sly smirk adorned Kili's face. "Are you sure it was my brother who thought that?" then he grunted right after Harriet punched him on the chest causing him to laugh despite what they've been through. "I was joking. He wouldn't lose me that easily"

They settled in without any campfire that night. Thorin thought it would be best to camp in the dark so they wouldn't catch anyone's attention. Each tired dwarf, wizard, and Halfling spread out their blankets on the ground and ate a few snacks before getting some rest. It was a very tough journey but nevertheless, they were getting closer to their destination which meant they needed all the rest they could get as more obstacles were probably waiting for them.

 **ooOoo**

Kili was woken up in the middle of the night by the loud rumbling coming from outside the cave. With his bow and arrow, he got up from his post by the entrance and peeked outside. The thunderstorm went on and so did the battle between stone giants, throwing stones at one another. Luckily, it was far from where they were so they didn't have to worry about evacuating the area. Kili was about to go back to his position when he took a glance deeper in the cave. All the dwarves and hobbit were sprawled all over the place, sound asleep. Deeper within the small cave was Harriet. Her back was facing Kili but the young dwarf could tell that she wasn't asleep. Slipping his weapons on his back, Kili tiptoed along the packed area, making sure he didn't step on anyone.

The dwarf prince was right. Harriet was awake, facing the wall of the cave holding a single golden flower. She almost gasped in fright when she looked up, seeing the young prince of Durin looking down on her. Kili looked at his uncle's direction first. The King of Erebor was sleeping with the Orcrist in his hands next to Balin and Dwalin. When he was completely sure that his uncle would not wake up anytime soon, Kili slowly got down and lied next to Harriet. The two young ones were facing one another, without a single word, but offered each other a smile.

"Why aren't you asleep?" he asked, followed by the roaring snore of Bombur which made him chuckle. "Oh, right"

Harriet suppressed her laughter and spoke softly, "It's also noisy outside"

"The stone giants are pretty much having another battle and the storm hasn't weakened"

"This might just be the scariest thing I've encountered" she sighed. "To be honest, I'm afraid of heights. I've always had this fear of falling from a high place. The wind and the rain was strong that it was making me lose my balance. I was certain I would've been blown off and fall to my death. I didn't think I'd be able to get through it" then she smiled. "I should thank Fili. When I was getting scared, he'd squeeze my hand and assure me that everything would be alright. He helped me a lot and made sure that I was safe"

Kili listened to her with brooding eyes, noticing the gentleness in her voice whenever she spoke to or about Fili. "Say, do you fancy my brother?"

"What?" Harriet was baffled. "I don't fancy him. I'm just grateful for all the help he's done for me"

"Tsk, it was me who was supposed to come and help you" he muttered. "He just stopped me"

Harriet giggled softly and poked his nose with the flower she was holding. "You've already done so much since the first time I got here"

"Where did you get that?" Kili whispered, looking at the sweet smelling golden flower she was holding. The entire cave was dry and nothing but rocks it would be impossible for a flower to grow.

Harriet shrugged as she whispered back, "I was taking a nap and the next thing I know it was already here beside me"

"It looks like the ones surrounding you in the forest when we first saw you" Kili whispered again, gently touching the soft velvety petals of the flower. "My mother used to tell me and Fili stories about the Valar"

"What's a Valar?"

"They're like spirits or Gods that helped create whatever you see here in Middle Earth" he explained. "Lord Aule, or Mahal, is the one who created us dwarves. But I remember distinctly one Vala from my mother's stories. She is called Queen Vana. She is also referred to as Queen of blossoming flowers and the ever young. It is said that the flowers spring as she passes and the birds sing at her coming. Also that she is the most beautiful in form and feature. Just by listening to my mother describe the Vala made me so enthralled that I wished I could actually see her. And then one rainy morning, during our journey out of the Shire, we came across you" he smiled at how immersed Harriet was with his story, like a child listening to a bedtime story. "We found you in the middle of the forest, lying on a bed of golden flowers just like that one you're holding. The moment I laid my eyes on you, I was certain you were Queen Vana. Well, I don't exactly know how she looked like but, I felt like she would be as beautiful as you"

Harriet was grateful that the cave was dim and that the dwarf prince couldn't see the redness of her cheeks. She'd never heard anyone compliment her the way Kili did that she felt so shy. "I just look normal though" she answered humbly then felt her heart race when Kili cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand. They weren't the softest of hands, an indication of all the hard work he'd done wielding bows and swords but they were warm and gentle.

"Maybe in your eyes or in the eyes of men you're ordinary" Kili whispered, his chocolate brown eyes locked on hers. "But to me you're the most beautiful being I've ever seen. Almost like a vala"

Harriet stiffened as she felt Kili moved closer. Her heart began to pound in her chest so loudly it was drowning the sound of the thunderstorm outside. She felt the warm breath of the dwarf prince as he inched closer. But before their lips could even meet, the ground they were lying on opened and engulfed all of them deep within the mountain.

 **ooOoo**

Harriet, Bilbo, and the dwarves shouted as they fell into a long tunnel and dropped on top of each other. Harriet grunted but was pleased that she didn't land on anything hard. But fear struck her when she realized it was Thorin whom she landed on. She scrambled onto her feet but before she could even stand up, more dwarves landed on top of them including the heaviest of them all, Bombur. As if that wasn't the worse, a pack of foul looking beasts ran towards them. They were smaller than orcs but as hideous as them with warts all over their bodies, long pointy ears, and sharp teeth. Harriet squealed as they pulled her up on her feet, stripping off her weapons from her. One by one, the beasts took their prisoners and led them across a hanging bridge.

Harriet ducked when a group of bats flew over her head and continued moving forward with the beasts pushing her. There was singing ahead and she was completely shocked to see there was like a hidden community of monsters deep within the mountain. Layers upon layers of stairs made out of wood adorned the area making it look like a grim looking labyrinth. They were finally taken to the leader or king, as he was wearing a crown made out of bones, who was singing and referring to their place as Goblin town. He didn't look any better than his minions. He was big, grimy, and full of warts that Harriet couldn't help but scrunch her nose in utter disgust.

After the king of the goblins finished up his song, he faced his guests. "Who dares to intrude my kingdom?"

"Dwarves, sire" one of its minions said. "And a human"

"And they seem to have an alliance with the elves!" another one said, showing a few items that were from Rivendell, most of it stolen by Nori.

"What are you doing in these parts?" the goblin king asked again.

This time, the dwarves started to stall by blurting out utter nonsense. Getting on his nerves, the goblin king silenced them and announced to everyone that they'll be making them talk through torture.

"We start with the female" the goblin king said.

Before any of the goblins could even lay a hand on Harriet, Kili was already on the move punching each one of them. But unfortunately, he was outnumbered and got punched on the stomach until he was down on his knees. Thorin finally stepped up while Harriet and Fili rushed towards Kili's aid. The goblin king recognized Thorin as the successor of Thrain and Thror then laughed, saying he knew of someone that would love to have his head. Literally. He ordered one of his minions to deliver the news to the pale orc that he finally caught the prize he wanted.

The goblin king continued to sing and dance while the minions started to tie their prisoners down. In the midst of checking their weapons, a goblin squawked in fright after seeing the elf sword called the Goblin Cleaver. The goblin king panicked and ordered his minions to kill the prisoners instead. Harriet was protected by being at the center of the dwarves who was already starting to fight the goblins off. In the middle of the brawl, a blinding flash of light emerged. Harriet covered her dazzled eyes with her forearm then saw the figure of Gandalf holding onto his staff and sword.

Gandalf urged them to fight and Harriet quickly got a hold of her bow, quiver, and dagger. She quickly plunged her dagger onto a goblin charging her then continued on slipping the quiver on her back. When they got the upper hand, Gandalf led them through a series of hanging bridges and stairs fighting off every goblin they encountered.

Kili was slicing through goblins back to back with his brother when he looked around searchingly. "Where's Harriet?" he asked worriedly.

From the distant, Kili heard the shrill cries of goblins. Harriet was in the company of Bofur and Oin, killing more than a dozens of goblins with her bow and arrow.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about her" Fili pointed out, defending himself with his dual swords. "Clearly she can fend for herself"

Thorin's company continued to run when they found a clear passage, hoping to find an exit quickly as possible. When the goblin king reached them, Gandalf killed him with his sword. But instead of rejoicing, the very platform they were standing on fell into the deepest pit of the cave. The layers of wooden stairs crashed onto the ground with the dwarves, Harriet, and Gandalf piled against one another once more. Just as they thought they were finally free from the enemy, Kili saw a battalion of goblins pursuing them. It was impossible for them to fight them all off that the only way Gandalf could think of was to get out into daylight. Kili pulled Harriet up on her feet and darted through the narrow tracks within the depths of the cave, following the lead of Balin and Dwalin.


	9. Chapter 9

Harriet had never felt so happy seeing daylight again the moment they reached the exit of the cave. She dropped down on her knees, panting heavily, while Gandalf started to count them one by one. All the dwarves were complete but Bilbo was missing. The dwarves started to argue on who was keeping an eye on the hobbit. Harriet stood up straight and looked around. Come to think of it, she never saw him when the goblins took them as captives. While Thorin was explaining that the hobbit took the chance to escape, Bilbo appeared behind one of the trees. He knew too well that Thorin never liked him but, he grew fond of the other dwarves and promised himself to help them reclaim their home. Harriet also knew too well how Bilbo was feeling. Thorin never liked her from the very beginning either even now that it was made obvious that she was on their side. But nevertheless, she still wanted to remain in their company because according to the tattoo on her arm, she had a mission to help his bloodline.

Just as they thought they were free from the goblins, they heard the howling of wargs coming from up the hill. Everyone started running for their lives and passed through tall trees until they reached the edge of a cliff. There was no place for them to go so one by one the dwarves climbed the branches of the trees where the wargs could not reach them. Harriet clung tightly onto the branch of a tree when she saw from afar a group of orcs riding wargs. The middle one was the biggest orc she'd seen and also the palest and scariest. He had scars all over his body and had a claw like weapon for a left hand. They spoke in a language different from the dwarves or the elves and with whatever the pale orc said, the wargs followed.

The wargs tore down the trees until everyone was staying on the branches of the last tree standing situated at the edge of the cliff. Harriet continued to cling on the tree while holding onto Kili's hand when Gandalf came up with a plan. With the use of his staff's magic, he sent a few pine cones ablaze and threw it on the ground to keep the wargs away. Before the area got surrounded with fire, a warg charged towards the tree again until half of its root got uprooted. Everyone shouted as the tree was already leaning towards the cliff about to fall off any moment. Thorin realized there was no other way out than to fight off their enemies. Getting up, Thorin drew out his sword and pulled off a small branch from the tree ready to face his nemesis for the second time.

Harriet was barely holding onto a branch when she saw Thorin facing the orcs alone. She admitted that Thorin was prideful, arrogant, and cold but, he was always ready to fend for his people. Thorin's excruciating cry echoed as the biggest warg bit and tossed him to a rock until he was unconscious. _The fate of the line of Durin lies in my hands_. Harriet remembered the tattoo. Could it be that it was the time to finally fulfill her mission? Just as she was about to get up from the tree the dwarf princes, Dwalin, Balin, and a few others got off the branches and charged to protect their king. She quickly joined, drawing out her arrow and killing three orcs at a time with a single shot.

They were almost finishing off half of the orcs and wargs when Harriet saw Bilbo being cornered by the pale orc. Without any second thoughts, Harriet took another arrow and aimed it at the beast. The arrow flew and plunged directly in its already severed arm. The pale orc cried in pain and forcefully pulled it off, seeing that its arrow was made by elves. But unfortunately, it didn't cause too much damage against the orc. The pale orc diverted his attention from Bilbo to the young maiden of the group and spoke in black speech. The warg it was riding was ready to pounce and kill Harriet when giant eagles flew above them. One of the majestic birds captured Harriet with its claws and she looked down, watching the other eagles fight off the enemy before carrying the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf into safety.

 **ooOoo**

The eagles dropped them atop of the Carrock surrounded by a body of water. As soon as Kili was dropped off, he and his brother ran towards their uncle's aid who miraculously could stand up thanks to the magic of Gandalf. The king of Erebor thanked Bilbo for his help and apologized for ever doubting him. As the group looked ahead, they finally caught a glance of their destination the Lonely Mountain. It was still quite a long journey but, Bilbo believed that the worse was finally behind.

After descending the steep monolith, Thorin thought it was a good idea to start camp in the woods. All of them were tired and needed to recuperate after their encounter with the orcs. Every dwarf was busy—some gathered woods for their campfire, some were getting their meals ready, some were on the lookout, and some were having their wounds mended. Gandalf was watching from the distant with a smile, happy to see that Thorin and Bilbo were finally in good terms. But on the corner of his eye, he saw something of royal blue sneak out of the group.

Harriet looked very disheveled when she reached the graveled banks of the river. She dropped her bow and quiver to the ground and took a step closer to the water and washed the gash on her knee. She softly hissed in pain and continued to wash off the blood when she realized that Gandalf was nearby, watching her.

"It's quite obvious that dangerous journeys such as this isn't meant for a lady" the Grey Wizard pointed out. "Just imagine what Lord Elrond will say if he sees the condition of your dress"

The grey wizard was right. Even back in Suffolk, Harriet had never been involved in a fight whether it was in school or work. She was pretty nice that all she gained were friends. She looked down on the royal blue dress she was wearing that now had tears, holes, and blood that its originally beauty already faded. "I think he'll be pleased to know that I've rekindled the archer in me through this journey" Harriet said with a smile after washing her wound.

Gandalf chuckled, pleased to know that she was as optimistic as the hobbit. Harriet sat down on the graveled ground next to her weapon, looking ahead at the vast still river and hearing the faint voices of the dwarves from the campsite.

"What is it that you're thinking of, my dear?" Gandalf asked, noticing the troubled look on her face.

"I was just wondering what my mission really is" Harriet admitted, rubbing her arm where the tattoo is. "When I saw Thorin almost killed by the orcs, I thought that was what the tattoo meant but" she shook her head. "I didn't even know what to do. It was all thanks to Bilbo that he's alive"

"Are you starting to doubt yourself?"

"No…maybe?" she sighed. "I'm just, confused. No premonition came about the attack of the orcs. What if my premonition comes and it's too late? What then? You say that I'm a wizard but, why is it that I don't feel any kind of magic helping me?"

"My dear Harriet, you just have to believe in yourself" Gandalf said softly. "Everything will happen at the right time. And when that time comes you, yourself, will know what to do"

"There you are" Harriet turned around when she heard the familiar voice of Kili. The young dwarf prince hurried to her side and got on one knee. "I've been looking all over for you" he looked down on her dress and saw a tear above her knee which was smeared with dry blood. "Are you alright? You're bleeding"

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch really" Harriet assured him then saw a cut on his bottom lip. "You're bruised too, on your lip"

"I accidentally bit it. Yours, however, is quite a big injury. It's bleeding. Wait here while I get some medicine from Oin" and just like that, Kili darted back to the campsite.

"Tsk, what an awful liar. I saw him got punched" she mumbled then turned to the grey wizard who was chuckling whilst lighting his wooden pipe.

"Master Kili is quite different from his uncle" he said. "He's a child with a pure soul. He can easily see the goodness in someone"

"He does" Harriet agreed, remembering the time they first met in which Kili believed that she wasn't their enemy. "He's got a good heart"

"He'll make a good king in the future"

Kili came back with Bilbo carrying a handful of medicines and bandages he sneaked from Oin's bag. He quickly sat down on the gravel next to Harriet and with her permission lifted her dress up to take a closer look on her gashed knee. It wasn't too serious but it did continue to bleed despite Harriet cleaning it up. Kili cleaned it again with a wet washcloth before opening up a container of gooey looking medicine. It was the same kind that Fili had used for the wounds around her wrists. She flinched and hissed the moment Kili dabbed it on her fresh wound, having a whiff of the familiar strong scent of tree barks and herbs.

"Stay still, will you?" Kili scolded, making sure he evenly applied medicine all over the wound.

Harriet groaned and looked at the dwarf prince with furrowed eyebrows. "Well it stings" she whined.

"It only means that the medicine is working. Don't worry, it won't sting for too long"

And Kili was right. The stinging sensation quickly subsided followed by a cool feeling as the wound absorbed the medicine. When the gooey medicine looked almost dry, Kili began to bandage her knee to keep it from being infected whilst telling her to always be careful or be on guard. He was even scolding her that she wouldn't be hurt if only she stayed next to him like he kept saying. Bilbo Baggins stood at the corner with Gandalf, watching them both curiously.

"Is it only me who thinks there is something going on between them?" Bilbo asked Gandalf, keeping a watchful eye on the two young ones that started bickering.

Gandalf emitted a low laugh, drawing out smoke through his thin lips. "No, master Bilbo" he cleared. "It's rather obvious that there's a certain spark between them that all of us notices except for themselves"

"Hmm, I wouldn't think Thorin would be too pleased to know that"

"It doesn't matter. Kili can think for himself. After all, love sees no boundaries"

Bilbo nodded with arms folded over his chest. "He is very different from Thorin. He and his brother" he pointed out. In fact, it was Kili and Fili he was most fond of next to Balin and Bofur. The dwarf princes didn't think too highly of themselves despite being of royalty and acted normally like young kids who simply wanted to have fun.

"Indeed" Gandalf answered. "Dwarves are known to be prideful, stubborn, and arrogant. All of those traits can be seen through Thorin. But it is, however, nice to see that not all of them are like that" he watched as Kili laughed heartily like an innocent child when a butterfly landed on Harriet's head which initially startled her. "They are good hearted and at times comical. No wonder Ordun loved them a lot. And I guess it is something that his granddaughter inherited"


End file.
